The bombshell claim that Queen Elizabeth II was unhappy about great-grandaughter Princess Lilibet’s name risks deepening the royal rift, opines one royal commentator.
It comes after a royal author quoted a Palace insider claiming that the late Queen was outraged after the Sussexes made the public assertion.
In his new book, ‘Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story’, Robert Hardman describes how one member of staff claims the late Queen was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly claimed they would not have used the monarch’s family nickname if she were not “supportive”.
And the claim has once again divided public opinion and is likely to “stoke” tensions, royal commentator Afua Hagan believes.
She told Newsweek: “We’ve had the discussion about Lilibet’s name when she was born and to rake over those coals is a bit mean and it’s definitely, definitely going to stoke up those tensions.
“It just reignites all the people who say Harry and Meghan were wrong about everything.
“It’s just going to stoke up all those tensions, it’s going to fuel that fire, most definitely.
“It’s a bit mean really because she’s only little and it’s the baby’s name. At the time, and I feel it now, it’s quite sweet to name someone after their grandmother.”
In June 2021, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex asserted that the Royal Family were consulted “in advance of the announcement”.
They said: “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.”
Other royal commentators are less sympathetic to the Sussexes. TalkTV’s Piers Morgan branded the decision “disgusting” to his 8.7 million followers on X.
As always, the firebrand’s comments sparked fierce debate, with many supporting the Sussexes.
One user wrote: “Give it a rest.” While another questioned: “Did all the other women ask Elizabeth if they were allowed to use her name as their daughter’s middle name? Kate? Eugenie?”
A third added: “Why should they need permission to use a name though? Seems a bit ridiculous.”
