Ms English wrote: “In fact, I understand the Queen was so upset by the Sussexes’ decision that she told aides: ‘I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they’ve taken that.’”
She added her own analysis of the events and said that Harry and Meghan “would not have intended to cause her grief – over this, at any rate.”
But she says “well-placed sources made clear to myself and others at the time” that the pair very much did manage to upset the Queen over the issue.
The BBC’s royal correspondent Jonny Dymond reported being told by a Palace source that the Queen was “never asked” by Harry and Meghan about the use of her childhood nickname.
He revealed at the time that his source “disputed” reports that the pair had spoken to the Queen and had received her blessing.
But in reply the Duke and Duchess stated that they would not have used her private family nickname if the Queen had not been “supportive”.
A legal letter from the royal duo to the BBC said its report was “false and defamatory” but the organisation didn’t choose to retract it.
Today royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams also backed Mr Hardman as an “authoritative” voice on the subject.
Mr Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail: “Robert Hardman is one of our most authoritative of historians.
“He quotes a member of the Queen’s staff saying she was ‘as angry as I’ve ever seen her’ at the way in which Harry and Meghan handled this.
“Lilibet was the charming and deeply personal childhood nickname which was only used by the Queen’s close family and her intimates.
“For the Sussexes to co-opt it in this way and then say it was with her blessing, was despicable if what the aide says is true. It was outrageous behaviour. It meant bringing distress to her last years.”
