Not known for her outpourings of anger (or even outpourings), Queen Elizabeth was still very upset when she learned that her great-granddaughter would be called Lilibet, the nickname her family has always given her. It was royal journalist Robert Hardman who revealed this indiscretion in a biographical book on the new king to be published on January 18, entitled Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story. Another stone thrown in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's already cluttered garden?
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First name
If they have become accustomed to facing criticism in recent years, did Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle imagine that when it came time to choose the name of their second child, they would provoke an embryonic affair of state? Born on June 4, 2021, little Lilibet is named in tribute to her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. This nickname was given to the sovereign in her early childhood, by her younger sister Princess Margaret who, struggling to pronounce the name Elizabeth, babbled an affectionate Lilibet.
If Elizabeth II took umbrage at the choice of her grandson, it is because this pseudonym was exclusively used by her close guard, her father King George VI, her mother, her sister Princess Margaret and her husband Prince Philip. In his book, Hardman quotes a member of his staff who, on condition of anonymity, explains that he has "never seen the Queen so angry in her life" because she reportedly wasn't told about it by his grandson and his wife. This is refuted by the latter, who argue that it was essential for them to have the Queen's approval: "The Duke spoke to his family before the announcement, his grandmother being the first member of the family he called," their lawyer said at the time. "During this conversation, he told them of their hope to name their daughter Lilibet in his honour. If she hadn't supported them, they wouldn't have used that name." A new misunderstanding that is unlikely to help things between the Windsors and the Sussexes.