Why The Meaning Behind Lilibet Diana's Name May Not Be What You Think It Is
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their daughter Lilibet Diana back on June 4. The couple announced the birth of the newborn on the Archewell website, and explained that her name was chosen to honor both her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and her late grandmother, Princess Diana. "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," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby announcement read, in part.
Over the past couple of weeks, just about everyone has been talking about the name Lilibet Diana. There has been a great deal of support for their name, and even some critiques as well. One royal expert by the name of Angela Levin, for example, appeared on "Good Morning Britain" where she shared that the name is actually "quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen" as it was a "very private nickname," according to The Sun. There have also been reports that Harry didn't run the name past his grandmother before choosing it for his newborn daughter, according to a tweet from BBC News correspondent, Jonny Dymond. Harry went on to threaten a lawsuit against BBC News for printing false information, according to USA Today.
Amid all of this hullabaloo surrounding little Lili, there's a new claim out about her name — and why the meaning behind the moniker may not be what you think. Read on to learn more.
Lilibet Diana's name may be a nod to Prince Philip
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle apparently didn't just honor Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana by naming their newborn Lilibet Diana. According to Stewart Pearce, a dear friend of Diana's, the name was actually chosen to honor Prince Philip, who died back on April 9. "Harry adored his grandfather, who became a particular line of security for the young prince post Diana's death," Pearce told the Daily Mail. "There is no doubt that the influence Prince Philip had over his grandson will live on in the heart of Harry, in the sense of the complete allegiance Prince Philip's life created in alliance with the Queen, after the sudden death of her father the King, and her own accession to the throne," he added.
The name Lilibet, of course, is one that Philip used to call his wife. Pearce went on to tell the Daily Mail that Harry's late mother would have been "thrilled" with the name that Harry and Meghan chose for their daughter. at the choice of name for the little one. "'Diana was the personification of love and the exemplar of unconditional love. She would have been so excited by the babe and her beautiful names," he said.