Public attention has been redrawn to drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to give their baby daughter Queen Elizabeth II's family nickname in recent days, ahead of the publication of a new biography of King Charles III.
Robert Hardman, a seasoned royal biographer who recently worked closely on a behind-the-scenes documentary charting King Charles' first year on the throne, will publish his new book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, in Britain on Thursday.
Ahead of this, serialized extracts have appeared in British tabloid the Daily Mail, revealing behind-palace-walls insight into several high-profile public dramas, including the naming of Princess Lilibet in 2021.
In the book, Hardman cites a palace insider who revealed that Queen Elizabeth was "'as angry as I'd ever seen her'" when Harry and Meghan claimed that she had given her approval for the use of "Lilibet" which, until that point, had been an intimate nickname used only by the monarch's closest family and friends.
Its origins reportedly date back to the queen's own childhood, where at a young age she had been unable to properly pronounce "Elizabeth" with the self-coined abbreviation being used by her parents and grandparents thereafter.
At the time of Lilibet's birth announcement in June 2021, news reports suggested that the couple had used the name without the queen's blessing. This was rebutted by the couple's spokesperson with one news outlet stating that they had been told the suggestion was "defamatory."
After Hardman's serialized extract was published, the Daily Mail reported that at the time of Lilibet's naming, Queen Elizabeth was upset, allegedly telling an aide: "I don't own the palaces, I don't own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they've taken that."
Newsweek approached representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex via email for comment.
As renewed discussion around the naming drama continues to circulate, here, Newsweek looks at what Harry and Meghan have said about the naming of their baby daughter.
'Lili is Named After Her Great-Grandmother'
Princess Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021, near the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's family home in Montecito, California.
Two days after her birth, the couple made the news public with a statement issued through their Archewell organization website. In it they revealed that the princess was named "Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor" or "Lili" for short.
"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet," the statement said. "Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."
The name generated some negative backlash from critics of Harry and Meghan, some of whom questioned the use of such an intimate family nickname.
Shortly after the Archewell announcement was made, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, but did not reference the princess' name.
"The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," it read.
Archewell Statement, June 6 2021
"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA.
"She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.
"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.
"This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family."
'The First Family Member He Called'
In the wake of Princess Lilibet's birth announcement, several news outlets covered the controversy that arose from Harry and Meghan's decision to use Queen Elizabeth II's nickname as a tribute.
One outlet was the BBC, Britain's national broadcaster, which in a radio show cited a Buckingham Palace source as saying that the queen was "never asked" about the decision.
Harry and Meghan fought this accusation by releasing a rebuttal statement, per People, claiming that not only had the queen been "supportive" of the plan but that she was "the first family member" Harry called.
Spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to People, June 9, 2021
"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 honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."
In its report, the BBC revealed that the royal couple had sent out legal letters to news outlets warning them not to repeat what they considered to be the "false and defamatory" claims.
"In a letter to some news broadcasters and publishers, the law firm Schillings, which acts for Prince Harry and Meghan, said the BBC report that the Queen was not asked for permission to use the name Lilibet was false and defamatory and should not be repeated," they reported.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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