While some might have thought that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle naming their daughter Lilibet was a sweet nod to Queen Elizabeth II, for the late monarch, the opposite was true.
This week, The Mail shared a teaser from Robert Jobson’s upcoming book, The Windsor Legacy, claiming that she threw a newspaper on the floor when she found out.
Previously, the Duke and Duchess claimed that she was consulted about the decision. When her birth was announced, they were in California with their son, Prince Archie.
“A Palace source has a different version of events, which is that the Queen first learned of Lilibet’s name from the morning press, and was so incensed at the affront that she threw the paper to the floor, startling her staff,” he claimed.
“Later, during one of the Sussexes’ final UK visits before her death, they skipped a planned tea – that daily ritual so precious to the Queen. What’s more, they skipped it without giving her notice. She had requested a special cake. By 5.15pm, with no word, she told staff to clear everything away.”
Shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter was born in 2021, the BBC revealed that the late royal was not consulted.
However, a spokesperson for the couple insisted that she was told.
“The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact, his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the spokesperson said at the time.
“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.”
The couple denounced the BBC’s report as “false and defamatory” and threatened legal action, though no lawsuit ensued.
The book explores the royal family’s resilience and influence over the past century, as well as the feuds, crises, and scandals the institution has endured.
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