Meghan Markle’s Baby Girl’s Name — The Special Tribute Behind Her Adorable Moniker

Jun 06, 2021

The beautiful name that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose for their newborn daughter has a touching meaning behind it, and it honors two very special women in Harry's life: his grandmother and his mother.

For months before the announcement of the birth, people across the world wondered if Harry would choose to pay tribute to his mother with the birth of his daughter. Harry is also known to be close to his grandmother and reported that "Lilly" was also in the running as a first name. However, Harry went one step further and chose the name "Lilibet" for his daughter, which has been the nickname for Queen Elizabeth since she was young. 

Royal watchers had previously predicted that Harry and Meghan would choose to honor both Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip by picking a meaningful name for their daughter, who was born on June 4, 2021. 

The story behind the name is truly sweet. The queen's close family called her "Lilibet" after the very young princess was unable to pronounce her own name. The queen’s parents and grandparents adopted the adorable nickname, and it has remained her nickname ever since. Her late father, George VI, was once quoted as saying: "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy."

However, no other royal family members apart from Philip and the queen’s parents have reportedly called her "Lilibet," which means that her sweet nickname may now no longer be used after Philip's death. While it had only a prediction and not an assumption earlier that the queen's 11th great-grandchild may be called "Lily," Harry and Meghan went one step further and gave their daughter a remarkable name. 

While the royal family is unlikely to immediately assign the newborn a title, Meghan and Harry’s daughter will become a princess if Prince Charles becomes king, as grandchildren of the king are automatically granted prince and princess status, according to Elle. In this case, Meghan and Harry’s first-born child, 2-year-old Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, would also become a prince. With Queen Elizabeth II still at the helm, Archie remains seventh in line to the throne while Harry and Meghan’s baby girl is just behind her big brother. 

However, all of this remains up in the air since both Meghan and Harry have distanced themselves from the royal family, stepping back from their roles as working royals in January 2020 and moving to Southern California shortly thereafter.

The couple’s big announcement on Sunday, June 6, 2021, is the first bit of good news the royal family has had in a while, given the saddening events of the past few years, which have been filled with strife and mourning. Prince Philip, who would have been the child’s great grandfather, passed away on April 9 at 99 years old. At the time, Meghan could not make it to Philip’s April 17 funeral because doctors advised against traveling to the U.K. while pregnant.

PEOPLE reported that statement from the couple released on Sunday read, "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." 

The statement continued, "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."

The baby girl's name is truly meaningful as well, as all royal fans would know, and this was also addressed in the statement. "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."

Harry and Meghan concluded their statement, "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 happy couple also posted a statement about their child on their website, Archewell, which read, "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. 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."

Nick Bullen, royal expert and founder of True Royalty TV told Us Weekly that the couple’s new baby could bring the royal family closer after the difficult year they have had. 

He told the magazine, "The birth of a baby is always a great unifier for a family and I’m sure all sides of the Sussex family will want to celebrate with Harry and Meghan. I think you can be absolutely certain that Harry and Meghan will be jumping on a Zoom call to introduce Her Majesty to her 11th great-grandchild."

While time will tell how the queen has welcomed her newest great-grandchild, we are sure that everyone in the royal family is over the moon! Congrats to the happy couple! 

Congratulations, Meghan and Harry! What do you think of this beautiful name choice? Let us know what you think — and be sure to pass this great news on to friends and family members.