Queen Elizabeth Furious Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Claimed She Allowed Them To Name Daughter Lilibet: New Book
The Queen was allegedly livid over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's claim that she approved of them using her childhood nickname for their daughter.
British journalist, author and documentary filmmaker Robert Hardman is about to release a new biography titled "Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story." In the book serialized exclusively by Daily Mail, he shared the conversations he had with members of the royal family, friends and current and former palace staff.
Some insiders allegedly told him that the late monarch wasn't pleased about the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' claim that she gave them her blessing to name their youngest child Lilibet.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks with staff during a visit to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down science park on October 15, 2020 near Salisbury, England.
"One privately 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 author wrote.
"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."
Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton watch the RAF 100th anniversary flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England.
The author added that the incident was another case of "recollections may vary" -- Queen Elizabeth's reaction to the Sussexes' claims in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"Those noisy threats of legal action duly evaporated, and the libel actions against the BBC never materialized," Hardman noted.
The Sussexes released a statement about the Queen reportedly permitting them to name their daughter Lilibet after the BBC published a report, quoting an unnamed Palace source who claimed they didn't ask the Queen about naming their daughter after her nickname.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor at a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Prince Harry and Markle were noticeably unhappy with the report. According to Daily Mail's royal editor Rebecca English, they ordered their legal counsel to send a legal warning to broadcasters and publishers, including the BBC, saying the claims they didn't ask the Queen's permission were false and defamatory and should not be repeated.
The royal couple also insisted they wouldn't use the name without the Queen's permission.
"The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement -- in fact, his grandmother was the first family member he called," Prince Harry and Markle's rep said in a statement.
"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."
