It was meant to be a touching tribute — or so the Sussexes claimed. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the name of their daughter in June 2021, “Lilibet Diana,” it was framed as an act of deep respect. “Lilibet” was Queen Elizabeth II’s cherished childhood nickname, used only by her parents, sister, and the late Prince Philip. No outsider had ever dared to use it.
But now, royal insiders suggest the choice was not as innocent as it seemed. According to multiple palace sources, the decision raised eyebrows within the royal household — and may have deepened the already tense relationship between the Queen and Meghan.
“Lilibet was the Queen’s most private name,” one aide revealed. “For Meghan to use it publicly — for her own child — felt less like a tribute and more like a branding exercise. Some believe it was a calculated move to anchor her daughter directly to the throne in the public’s mind.”
The theory is as bold as it is controversial: by choosing a name so intimately tied to the monarch, Meghan may have been signaling her intent to keep her family at the center of royal conversations, despite stepping down from official duties.
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The Queen herself, according to whispers from those close to her, felt “uncomfortable” with the decision. While the palace officially congratulated the couple, privately the name choice was seen as overstepping a boundary. The result? An even wider gulf between the Sussexes and the monarch in her final years.
And so the question lingers: was “Lilibet” a sweet nod to family tradition, or a masterstroke in royal image-making? For those who believe the latter, it may explain why the Queen — despite her famed grace and diplomacy — could never fully warm to Meghan.
If true, the name “Lilibet” could be remembered not just as a tribute, but as a flashpoint in one of the most dramatic royal rifts of the modern era.
