THE Queen was told by Prince Harry that baby Lilibet would be named after her, but Palace officials were in the dark about the birth announcement, it’s been suggested.
Sources suggest Buckingham Palace officials were left out of the loop about Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor’s birth – and only found out at 5pm along with the rest of the world.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
According to The Times, Her Majesty was in fact told that her 11th great-grandchild was going to be named after her.
But it’s not known if the Queen knew that the Duchess of Sussex had given birth before the public did.
It wasn’t until 6.34pm – over an hour and a half after Meghan and Harry’s announcement – that the Royal Family released a well-wishing statement about the good news.
Buckingham Palace officials were said to be unaware the baby had been born until the announcement came out at 5pm on social media, according to Mail.
The Palace declined to discuss when the Queen was informed of the safe arrival of her newest great-grandchild – or whether she was advised on Lili’s name.
What we know so far:
- Meghan and Harry have given birth to a baby girl called Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in a touching nod to the Queen
- She was born at hospital in Santa Barbara on Friday morning weighing 7lbs 11oz
- Lili and Meghan are “healthy and well” and “settling in at home”
- Meghan and Harry have asked people to support organisations working for women and girls instead of giving a present
- Lili is now eighth in line to the throne, behind her older brother Archie
- Meghan and Harry kept birth a secret for two DAYS before announcing baby joy to the world
- Queen, William and Kate Middleton say they are ‘delighted’ after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcome baby Lilibet
- The clues Meghan Markle and Prince Harry chose their baby girl’s name Lili years earlier
Royal author Phil Dampier told HOAR: “Lilibet is such a personal name to the Queen you would hope they gave the palace the heads-up.
“I suspect Harry and Meghan have realised they’ve overdone their criticism in recent months and the penny has dropped that they’ve caused deep hurt to Harry’s gran and other family members.”
Mr Dampier — who wrote Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan in their own words — added: “They might be trying to undo some of the damage.”
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor shares the nickname Prince Philip called his wife the Queen for more than 70 years — while the middle name is a tribute to Harry’s mum.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, gave birth at 11.40am local time on Friday at a hospital ten minutes’ drive from their £11million mansion in Montecito, California.
The baby weighed in at 7lbs 1oz.
In a statement released last night Harry and Meghan, who have a two-year-old son Archie, said: “On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.
“She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe.
“Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”
A spokesman said mum and baby were “healthy and well”.
Meghan chose Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital over the popular Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles.
The spokesman went on: “Lili is now setting in at home.” They confirmed: “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.
Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest updates
“Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”
Last night a royal source told HOAR: “Lilibet was a favourite nickname used by Prince Philip. It’s also been one of Harry’s favourites for years.
“During a royal engagement in Liverpool in 2019, when Meghan was pregnant with Archie, Harry asked someone in the crowd how she spelt her daughter’s name Lily.
“She said Harry took great interest in it and suggested he was keen on giving it to his own daughter one day.”
Lily of the Valley flowers were among blooms worn by Meghan’s bridesmaids when she wed Harry in 2018.
The Queen, Prince William, and Kate Middleton congratulated Meghan and Harry on the birth of their daughter in a statement from Buckingham Palace.
It read: “The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also sent his well wishes to the Sussexes, writing: “Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tweeted: “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili.
“Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”
And Prince Charles and Camilla also wrote: “Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana
“Wishing them all well at this special time.”
Meghan’s estranged dad Thomas Markle, 76, told HOAR last night: “I’m very pleased that my daughter and my new granddaughter had a successful delivery. I wish them all my love and the best of luck.”
Lili is the first grandchild of the Queen to have been abroad and is the first senior royal to be born in America.
Like Archie, she will automatically have US citizenship.
Poignantly, she is the first of the monarch and Philip’s great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the Duke in April.
She is now eighth in line to the throne – behind her own father Prince Harry, uncle Prince William, grandfather Prince Charles, her cousins, and her older brother Archie.
Lili is also the first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — and Prince Charles’ fifth grandchild.
Her birth will allow Harry to return to London for the unveiling of a Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.
BABY SURPRISE
The Duke of Sussex is due to lead the July 1 event alongside Prince William — said to be “infuriated” with his younger brother in the wake of his bombshell Oprah interviews and attacks on the Royals.
A source said: “Harry was rumoured to be swerving the Diana statue unveiling amid his fractious relationship with William.
“Meghan being pregnant would have been a convenient and perfect reason not to attend.
“But he now has no excuses to not come, and will be expected to stand alongside William in a showing of brotherly solitude.”
Lili’s birth follows revelations in November that Meghan had suffered a miscarriage in July last year.
The Duke and Duchess have previously made no secret of their desire for a second child but also said two is their limit for environmental reasons.
They excitedly revealed they were having a daughter during their Oprah interview in March, with Harry telling the talk show host the gender.
When Oprah asked Harry how he felt learning he would have a daughter, he gushed: “Amazing. Just grateful.
“To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for. We’ve got our family—the four of us and our two dogs.”
