Harry and Meghan reject claim Queen not consulted
on Lilibet name
BBC correspondent says palace source claims Sussexes
did not ask for permission to use name for daughter
Lawyers for Harry and Meghan have written to the media
asserting that the BBC’s claims are false and defamatory.
Matthew
Weaver
Wed 9 Jun
2021 13.09 BST
Buckingham
Palace has become embroiled in a row over whether the Queen was consulted over
the naming of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter.
Harry and
Meghan’s decision to name their second child Lilibet, a childhood nickname of
the Queen, was seen as an attempt by the couple to try to mend their rift with
the royal family.
But the
couple’s suggestion, widely reported in the media, that the Queen gave her
blessing for the name appears to have only deepened divisions with some at the
palace.
The BBC’s
royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond, reported that the Queen had not been
consulted about the name. The BBC did not quote the source for its story
directly, but Dymond said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the source had
made it very clear that the Sussexes had not asked permission to use the name
and that none had been granted.
He said “a
good palace source” was “absolutely adamant” that the name had not been run by
the Queen.
A
spokesperson for the Sussexes insisted the Queen was told in advance about the
name and that the couple would not have used it had the monarch disapproved.
The
spokesperson 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
honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”
Lawyers for
Harry and Meghan have written to the media asserting that the BBC’s claims are
false and defamatory.
The
Sussexes’ rift with the royal family was made clear in their extraordinary
interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. Meghan said concerns had been raised by
one member of the family before the birth of their first child, Archie, about
how dark his skin would be, and said the palace failed to help when she was
feeling suicidal.
The Queen
responded by saying the issues were taken “very seriously” but that “some
recollections may vary”.
Lilibet
Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild and is eighth in
line to the throne. Her middle name was chosen to honour her late grandmother,
Diana, Princess of Wales.
After the
announcement of the birth of Lilibet, the official Twitter account of Prince
William and Kate posted congratulations without using the child’s name in full.
The tweet said: “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby
Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”
The Lilibet
nickname was coined when the then Princess Elizabeth was a toddler in the 1920s
and struggled to pronounce her name properly. The Queen’s father, George VI,
was quoted as saying of his daughters: “Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is
my joy.”
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