Why Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Named Their Baby Lilibet

Why Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Named Their Baby Lilibet
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry quietly welcomed their daughter on Friday, June 4—and revealed her name in full, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in a birth announcement today. The couple chose Lili's first and middle name deliberately in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry's late mother Princess Diana.

As Archewell explained of the choice in the couple's birth announcement, “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”

The couple, in a statement, spoke about their first impressions of Lili: “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.”

Photo credit: Jeff J Mitchell - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jeff J Mitchell - Getty Images
Photo credit: Georges De Keerle - Getty Images
Photo credit: Georges De Keerle - Getty Images

Harry and Meghan have been vocal about how close they are to Harry's grandmother, the Queen. In their March interview with Oprah, Meghan said that Queen Elizabeth II “has always been wonderful to me. I mean, we had one of our first joint engagements together. She asked me to join her, and I went on the train. And we had breakfast together that morning and she gave me a beautiful gift and I just really loved being in her company, and I know we were in the car—yeah, she gave me some beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace—and we were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her, her knees, for warmth and it was chilly and she was like, Meghan, come on, and put it over my knees as well.”

Harry also told Oprah, “I've spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have [in] many, many years. My grandmother and I have a really good relationship and understanding, and I have deep respect for her.”

And Diana, of course, is beloved by Harry. The Duke recently spoke about her legacy in May when responding to the BBC's investigation of how her tell-all Panorama interview was secured. The network apologized for the “clear failings” of the journalists involved.

Harry said in a statement then:

Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.

The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.

To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these—and even worse—are still widespread today. Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.

Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.

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