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A new book alleges Queen Elizabeth was reportedly "angry" with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's claims that she had given her blessing for naming their daughter Lilibet. The book, written by royal expert Robert Hardman and titled Charles III: New King, New Court, published this extract in The Daily Mail on January 14, ahead of its release on January 18, 2024.
The name "Lilibet" was a nickname for Queen Elizabeth, who called herself so when she was a child due to her inability to pronounce "Elizabeth." The nickname was used only by a handful of people, including her parents, her sister, and her late husband.
A royal aide claimed in the book that Queen Elizabeth was allegedly as "angry as I had ever seen her" when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed that she was supportive of their decision to use her nickname for their daughter.
"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," Hardman wrote in his book.
Harry and Markle's daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on June 4, 2021, in Los Angeles. They also have a son named Archie born in London on May 6, 2019.
New book claims Queen Elizabeth did not agree with Harry and Markle using her nickname for their daughter
The new book, a fascinating biography that claims to delve deep into the thoughts and feelings of the members of the royal family, gave an alternate perspective on various events, including the conflict between Prince Harry and his royal family.
One such conflict was the naming of Lilibet Diana. When Lilibet was born, the Archewell announcement of her birth read:
“Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.”
At that time, the BBC reported that a palace source claimed that the Sussexes never sought permission from Queen Elizabeth to use her nickname. But a spokesman stated that the Sussexes would have never used the name if Queen Elizabeth had not been supportive.
"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," the spokesman said.
According to the book, the Sussexes also threatened legal action against anyone who suggested otherwise. But when they allegedly tried to "co-opt" the Palace into "propping" their version of events, they were "rebuffed."
Another source told The Daily Mail at the time of Lilibet's birth that while Queen Elizabeth was called to ask for permission, she was left in a position where she felt like she couldn't say no.
According to The Sun, the Palace celebrated Lili's birth a few days after her arrival with a statement that said:
“The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
Biography talks about Prince Harry's relationship with his father and his brother
The biography claims that Queen Elizabeth's final moments were "painless" as she "slipped away" surrounded by her family at Balmoral on September 8, 2022. Her private secretary Sir Edward Young allegedly wrote in a memo:
"Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn't have been aware of anything. No pain."
The book also highlighted how Queen Elizabeth wrote two letters, one for King Charles and the other for Sir Edward, before her death. The letters were sealed in a locked red box, to be opened after her death.
According to The Daily Mail, Harry's relationship with both King Charles and Prince William has been strained ever since he and Megan Markle abdicated from their royal duties in January 2020.
As per the book, neither King Charles nor William read Harry's memoir Spare, though they have been notified of its contents. William is reportedly "mortified" by Harry's "casual betrayal" of their fraternal secrets in the memoir.
William was disrespected by Harry's claims in his Netflix documentary that the royal men look to marry someone who “would fit the mould” as he felt that this was a slight against his wife, Katherine. According to the book, William called this statement the “lowest of the low.”
The book also claimed that King Charles was "exasperated" over Harry's behavior, saying:
"Of course the King is extremely sad about Harry and Meghan but there is a sense of exasperation, that he has done what he can and now he is King, there are many more things to think about."
As mentioned, Charles III: New King, New Court will be released in hardback on January 18, 2024, published by Macmillan.
