Late Queen ‘infuriated’ by Harry and Meghan’s claim over naming of daughter Lilibet

The late Queen Elizabeth was infuriated by Harry and Meghan Markle’s claim that she had approved them naming their daughter Lilibet, a new book has reported.

In 2021, Harry and Meghan announced their daughter’s birth and said in a statement that she was named after the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

However, a new autobiography by royal journalist Robert Hardman has said the late Queen was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” after the couple stated she had been “supportive” of the name.

The book, which is currently being serialised in the Daily Mail, also claims the Sussexes were “rebuffed” by Buckingham Palace when they asked them to back up their claim publicly.

Lilibet was born in California on June 4, 2021 and was named after the late Queen Elizabeth’s affectionate nickname (Misan Harriman/Duke and Duchess of Sussex/EPA)

The book reads: “One privately [member of palace staff] 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.

“The couple subsequently fired off warnings of legal action against anyone who dared to suggest otherwise, as the BBC had done. However, when the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed.”

Shortly after Lilibet’s name was announced, the BBC reported a palace source saying that the Queen “was not asked by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about naming their daughter Lilibet”.

Harry and Meghan reportedly threatened legal action against the BBC after they reported a palace source saying that the Queen was not asked about the name (AP)

As a result, the couple accused the broadcasters of libel but according to Mr Hardman the threat of legal action “evaporated and the libel action against the BBC never materialised”.

At the time, Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson said: “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 honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

Lilibet was the childhood nickname of the late Queen which was reportedly only used by her parents, Princess Margaret and Prince Phillip, and a few close friends.

Mr Hardman is best known for his work on the Royal family. He has worked for the Daily Mail since 2001 and wrote the Sunday Times Book of the Year 2022, Queen of Our Times.

Other revelations in the book include a new insight into Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles.

It says that while the King was “extremely said” about Harry’s estrangement, he now feels as though “he has done what he can and now he is King, there are many more things to think about”.

The book claims Prince William felt a suggestion that he had married Princess Catherine because she ‘fit the mould’ was ‘the lowest of the low’ (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the book also quotes a senior official as saying Charles will “always” leave the door open for his youngest son.

The book also says that neither King Charles or Prince William have read Harry’s memoir, Spare, but staff have informed them of “key points”.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for a response to the book’s revelations.

Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, is out in hardback on 18 January.