When picking a name for their baby girl, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry found inspiration within the family. The couple welcomed their daughter Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday, giving her a name that sweetly honors some of Harry’s closest family members.
As a statement on Sunday revealed, “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.”
The newborn’s middle name, Diana, “was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”
While Harry’s relationship with his family has made headlines since his and Meghan’s departure from the royal family in early 2020, the Duke of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that he and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, are quite close.
“I’ve spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have done for many, many years,” he said during his and Meghan’s sitdown interview, noting the queen’s video calls with his son, Archie. “My grandmother and I have a really good relationship… And an understanding. And I have a deep respect for her. She’s my colonel in chief, right? She always will be.”
As for Diana, Harry was just 12 when his beloved mother died in a tragic car accident in Paris, France in 1997. In his new Apple TV+ docuseries, The Me You Can’t See, the duke discussed the difficulty he faced in processing the trauma of his mother’s death.
And in his and Meghan’s earlier interview Winfrey, Harry opened up about how his mother would have reacted to their royal exit.
“I think she would feel very angry with how this has panned out, and very sad. But, ultimately, all she’d ever want is for us to be happy,” he said, adding that his mother would have seen his exit coming.
Harry explained that in deciding to step back from his royal duties, “biggest concern” was history repeating itself.
Meghan and Harry have since settled in the Santa Barbara area, where they now live in Montecito, California, with 2-year-old son Archie and their newborn daughter Lili.
“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,” the couple said in a statement on Sunday. “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.”
