Queen Elizabeth II was 'as angry as I'd ever seen her' over Harry and Meghan's Lilibet name claim

The Queen was reportedly furious after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they had her blessing to call their daughter Lilibet, a Royal aide said

The late Queen was reportedly very upset over claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle about the naming of their daughter, Lilibet. Royal author Robert Hardman, in his new biography of the King, shared a story from a staff member who said that Queen Elizabeth II was "as angry as I'd ever seen her" after Harry and Meghan announced in 2021 that they had her blessing to use her childhood nickname for their daughter.

The BBC later reported that a source from the Palace said the Queen was not asked by the Sussexes if they could use the name Lilibet. However, lawyers for Harry and Meghan sent legal letters to the broadcaster and other publishers, saying this claim was false and damaging.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan insisted at the time that Harry had spoken to his grandmother beforehand and would not have used the name if she hadn't been supportive.

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Hardman wrote: "One privately recalled that Elizabeth II had been 'as angry as I'd ever seen her' in 2021 after the Sussexes announced that she had given them her blessing to call their baby daughter 'Lilibet', the Queen's childhood nickname." He also mentioned that Buckingham Palace "rebuffed" attempts by Harry and Meghan to confirm their version of events. "When the Sussexes tried to co-opt the palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed," he wrote.

In his new book titled "Charles III" (being serialised in the Daily Mail), Hardman discusses that it was another instance of "recollections may vary". This phrase alludes to the late Queen's reply to the allegations made by Harry and Meghan during their interview with Oprah Winfrey. Interestingly, the choice of Lilibet as a name did not pop up in Harry's headline-making memoir 'Spare'.

Hardman also reveals some insights into how Prince Charles perceived certain comments by Harry. In Harry's Netflix documentary, he hinted that male royals might feel pressured to marry someone who fits the mould rather than their true love. This, according to the author, was regarded by Charles as "the lowest of the low". Not just Charles, but Prince William also felt attacked; he interpreted it as "Harry making a blatant attack" on his wife, the Princess of Wales.

Lilibet, being more than just a pet name, holds historical significance as well. It first came into use when Princess Elizabeth was still a toddler and couldn't pronounce her own name properly. Her attempts to say 'Elizabeth' sounded more like 'Lilibet', which was then picked up by her grandfather King George V. Since then, she has been affectionately known as Lilibet within her family.

Bringing us to the present, Harry and Meghan's youngest child, now recognized as Princess following her grandfather's accession, was born on 4th June 2021 in sunny California. Her birth came two months after the demise of Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and amidst the uproar caused by Harry and Meghan's explosive Oprah interview.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.