Harry has insisted he and Meghan Markle told the Queen they were naming their daughter Lilibet.

In a sensational war of words with the Palace, Prince Harry hit back at a Palace source who claimed he and Meghan “never asked” Her Majesty about using her childhood nickname.

After the name of Harry and Meghan’s daughter was announced, it was said that Harry had spoken to his grandmother prior to naming their daughter and told her of plans to name her Lilibet.

A Palace source told the BBC this was not the case – and the Queen was “never asked” about its use.

Responding to the Palace source, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s official spokesman said: “The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called. 

“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. 

“Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

Some commentators suggested Lili’s name was meant to be an “olive branch” to the Royal family.

However, others have blasted Meghan, calling her “rude” for giving her daughter a nickname that only close family members call the Queen. They said she “demeaned” the Queen by doing this.

Royal biographer Angela Levin was among the first to slam Harry and Meghan, telling Good Morning Britain “I don’t think it’s a good idea – I think it’s quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen”.

“It was a very private nickname from her husband who hasn’t been dead for very long… Prince Charles would never dream of calling his mother Lilibet,” she added.

Lilibet was first used when the then Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and couldn’t pronounce her own name properly. Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her “Lilibet”, imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The pet name stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on.