Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to her second child, a baby girl, who she and husband Prince Harry have named Lilibet Diana.
The couple welcomed their child Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, a spokesperson said Sunday.
Her first name, Lilibet, is a nod to a nickname for her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Her middle name honours her grandmother and Harry’s mother. The baby is eighth in line to the British throne.
“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,” the couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wrote in a statement issued along with the announcement.
No photos of the newborn or the Sussexes accompanied the announcement. The couple has said that in lieu of gifts, they request those interested learn about or support nonprofit organisations working for women and girls like Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.
Harry and Meghan Markle – formerly an actor – married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born a year later.
Meghan has revealed that she had a miscarriage in July 2020, giving a personal account of the traumatic experience in hope of helping others.
Months before the miscarriage, the couple announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Montecito, an upscale area near Santa Barbara, California.
In the wake of quitting royal duties, they gave an explosive TV interview to Oprah Winfrey in March, in which the couple described painful comments about how dark Archie’s skin might be before his birth and Meghan talked about the intense isolation she felt inside the royal family that led her to contemplate suicide.
Buckingham Palace said the allegations of racism made by the couple were “concerning” and would be addressed privately.
Winfrey and Harry have recently collaborated on mental illness on the Apple TV+ mental health series “The Me You Can’t See.”
In the interview with Oprah, Meghan also talked about the fact that her son was not given the title of prince. Harry said the royal family cut him off financially after he announced plans to step back from his roles – and that he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his mother, Princess Diana, left behind.
Despite leaving royal duties, Harry’s place in the order of succession to the throne remains.
The first seven places remain unchanged: Prince Charles; Prince William; William’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Prince Harry, and his son, Archie.
Lilibet’s birth moves Prince Andrew, who was born second in line in 1960, down to ninth place.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife Kate are delighted with the news of the birth, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
What’s in a name
Lilibet – the Queen’s family nickname – was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly.
Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her “Lilibet” imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth.
The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on.
The Duke of Edinburgh also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: “Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me.”
Harry and Meghan’s new baby daughter – the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild – will be known as Lili.
A variation on Lily, the flower is often seen to symbolise purity, commitment, rebirth and fertility.
Lili’s middle name Diana honours Harry’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
It is no surprise the couple chose to pay tribute to Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when Harry was just 12.
Lili has been born almost a month before the princess would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1.
Lili’s cousin Princess Charlotte also has Diana as one of her middle names, as well as Elizabeth. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Harry and the Duke of Cambridge are due to unveil a statue of their mother at Kensington Palace on her birthday, but the arrangements have yet to be confirmed, amid a long-reported rift between the brothers.
The Sussexes’ tribute to the Queen is likely to be seen as an olive branch to the monarch and the rest of the family.
