The late Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly “at the end of her tether” over the naming of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter, with one sign betraying her true feeling, a royal commentator has claimed. The late monarch was “as angry as” an aide had “ever seen her” after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claimed they had her blessing to call their daughter Lilibet, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book.
Asked by TalkTV presenter Vanessa Feltz how Elizabeth II would have shown her anger, journalist Emily Andrews said the late sovereign may have raised an eyebrow or signalled her disapproval with a glare.
She added: “As we know, she was not someone who sort of shouted and screamed… She wasn’t a woman who particularly emoted. She wasn’t as in touch with her feelings, perhaps, as her grandson Harry.
“But I think it’s very interesting that she was just, kind of, at the end of her tether… What she was so angry about was the fact that the Sussexes [said] they had her permission – they had her blessing – to use this very special nickname.”
Lilibet was first used when Princess Elizabeth was a toddler and couldn’t pronounce her own name properly. Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her Lilibet, imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her close family from then on.
In his new biography of the King, Mr Hardman tells how a member of staff recounted Elizabeth II’s fury after Harry and Meghan’s announcement in 2021 over the use of her intimate family nickname – which was only used by a select few members of the Royal Family including the Queen’s sister, the late Princess Margaret.
The BBC later reported a Palace source as saying the late Queen was not asked by the Sussexes whether they could use Lilibet. But the Sussexes’ lawyers fired off legal letters to the broadcaster and other publishers, saying the claim was false and defamatory.
A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan insisted at the time that the duke spoke to his grandmother in advance and would not have used the name had the monarch not been supportive. Buckingham Palace is said to have “rebuffed” attempts by Harry and Meghan to confirm their version of events.
Ms Andrews said it was her understanding that there was a conversation between Prince Harry and the late Queen, during which the Duke “shared his hope” he could use Lilibet for his daughter’s name.
She added: “We don’t know if there was some sort of misunderstanding. Did the [late] Queen think that their daughter was going to be called Elizabeth? As of course Princess Charlotte has [Elizabeth] as a middle name.”
The royal expert then asked: “Did the [late] Queen feel railroaded into agreeing to her name being Lilibet because Harry presented it as a fait accompli? Those details we don’t know.
“I think it’s fascinating that in this new biography of Charles we are getting all these details about how the Palace dealt with the Sussexes.”
Asked if the late Queen might have considered Lilibet “slushy and sentimental” as a proper name, Ms Andrews said Elizabeth II may have felt Princess Lilibet didn’t sound regal enough.
