While the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter was announced to the public on June 7, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4 and one of the first people to know was the Queen.
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A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan announced the happy news on Monday in an official statement, revealing the safe arrival of their second baby, a girl.
“It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.
“Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA,” the statement read.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex waited a few days to make the announcement, it turns out that the Queen herself knew about baby Lilibet Diana’s arrival before the entire world.
Meghan and Harry told the Queen that their daughter, Lili as she’s been nicknamed, was born before they announced it to the public, People reported.
Not only that, but Buckingham Palace aides also reportedly told the Telegraph that the Queen was “aware” Meghan and Harry planned to name their daughter after her family nickname.
In the official statement announcing Lili’s birth, the meaning behind her name was explained, as it paid tribute to both the Queen and the late Princess Diana.
“Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet,” the statement read.
The nickname “Lilibet” was what the late Prince Philip often used to call his wife, where back in 1947, during his and the Queen’s honeymoon, Philip penned a letter to the Queen mother, writing “Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me”.
During Philip’s funeral, a letter from Her Majesty herself was also spotted on the casket, with her handwriting having been speculated to read, “Your Loving Lilibet”.
After the birth of Harry and Meghan’s daughter was made public, the Queen took to Twitter to respond on behalf of several members of the royal family on the Royal account.
“Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news. Lilibet is Her Majesty’s 11th great-grandchild,” the statement read.
An initial statement following the breaking news was previously released on behalf of the entire senior Royal Family, reading: “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.”
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