The essence
-
Princess Lilibet will celebrate her fifth birthday on June 4.
-
The full name of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter is Lilibet Diana, after the family nickname of Queen Elizabeth and Harry's late mother, Princess Diana.
-
The name also references Megan's mother, Doria Ragland, who named her daughter Flower as a child.
When choosing a name for their daughter, Princess Lilibet, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid tribute to three women in their family.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on August 15, 2024. Photo: Getty
Lilibet Diana was born on June 4, 2021. Her name pays homage to Queen Elizabeth's family nickname. Her parents, sister, Princess Margaret, and husband, Prince Philip, all called the monarch Lilibet. It was a very personal name, used only by those closest to her.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Queen Elizabeth on June 26, 2018. Photo: Getty. Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry on July 10, 2018. Photo: Getty.
Diana, of course, refers to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, when the Duke of Sussex was 12 years old. In the documentary series about mental health «"The Me You Can't See"» , which aired on Apple TV+ in 2021, Harry said Archie has a photo of Diana in his nursery. "It's really sweet, but at the same time, it makes me really sad because she should have been here," he mused.
Prince Harry and Princess Diana on August 10, 1987. Photo: Getty
Lilibet is now called Lily, which is also a reference to Megan's mother, Doria Ragland, who named her daughter Flower as a child.
Unlike her older brother, Prince Archie, who was born in the UK on May 6, 2019, Lilibet was born in California, where the Sussex family of four has lived since 2020.
Meghan Markle and Doria Ragland on May 18, 2018. Photo: Getty
In a private message released by Harry and Meghan after Lilibet's birth, they wrote: "We were blessed with the arrival of our daughter Lily on June 4th. She has exceeded all our expectations, and we remain grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers we have received from all over the world.".
«"Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this special time for our family," the message said.
Royal historian Robert Lacey told the publication People , that Lilibet was "given a name that carries such weight.".
«"Being compared to the Queen [Elizabeth], the most successful female monarch in British history, is a huge responsibility," he continued. "It will be one of the first explanations she will be given when she grows up.".
Prince Harry and Princess Diana on August 13, 1988. Photo: Getty
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said that during a conversation with his grandmother, Harry "shared their hope to name their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not supported them, they would not have chosen this name.".
Prince Harry and Doria Ragland on September 20, 2018. Photo: Getty
Reportedly media , Back in 2019, during an official royal engagement—before he and Meghan stepped down as full-time royals in January 2020—Harry "showed interest" in Lily's name, asking her mother how to spell her daughter's name.
Meghan also carried lilies of the valley in her bouquet when she married Harry on May 19, 2018. This was also a reference to the former Princess of Wales, who carried the same flower in her bouquet when she married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981.
Read the original article on InStyle.