As we predicted on our Instagram page a mere two days before the big arrival announcement — Meghan and Harry have named their newborn daughter a version of the moniker Lily after the Queen. The Sussexes officially became a family of four mid-morning on Friday June 4th, 2021. The Duchess gave birth to little Lili who was born at 11:40 a.m. in the care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. The newest Sussex addition weighed 7lbs 11 oz at birth — slightly more than older brother Archie weighing 7lbs and 3oz.
The Sussexes issued a statement regarding the meaning behind the name they chose for their daughter who is eighth in line to the British throne — “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”
Lilibet is the personal nickname of the Queen and a term of endearment used by Prince Philip when addressing his wife privately. It’s interesting to note that Princess Charlotte goes by a similar nickname — Lottie — which is an affectionate name used for the six year old by her closet family members and can mean ‘angel’ or ‘little’– the nickname is also the feminine form of ‘Charles.’ Thus, Princess Charlotte is thought to be named after grandfather Prince Charles with her middle names further reflecting her royal heritage — including the names Elizabeth Diana.
While Archie Harrison is thought to be named after one of Prince Harry’s mentors Major Tom Archer-Burton, an Army Commanding Officer who played a pivotal role in Harry’s military career — Lilibet is a family focused tribute and the name of her great-grandmother. (The name Archie was also rumored be a ‘code nickname‘ used by Prince George for security reasons.)
While Harry and Meghan love using nicknames for each other — like Haz or H or M — it’s uncertain if Lilibet will be called Lily or Liz or another derivative of the name. Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor is in good company with her royal relatives — Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Charlotte, Lady Louise Windsor, Isla Phillips and Lena Tindall all share the middle name Elizabeth.
