The Royal Family is in good spirits upon learning that the royal line has been further extended after the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet Diana, and the Firm’s warm welcome of its newest member hints at a (potentially) friendlier relationship between the royals.
On Friday, June 4, Harry and Meghan welcome their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, into the world. Their daughter’s name is a tribute to some of the important women in Harry’s life — Lilibet for his grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and Diana for his late mother Princess Diana. Baby Lili’s arrival came at a pivotal moment for her family; her birth occurred just months after the chaos that followed Harry and Meghan’s departure from the Royal Family in 2020, including the rumours coming out of the Firm and their shocking sit-down with Oprah Winfrey.
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Tensions were reportedly high between the Sussexes and the rest of The Firm in the last few months of Meghan’s pregnancy because of the tell-all interview and the controversy that arose from it, but it looks like Lili’s birth might actually be melting the icy relationship between the family members. A source from the Sussex camp confirmed that the Duke and Duchess had the received Queen’s blessing to give Lilibet her nickname, debunking claims from Buckingham Palace that they hadn’t consulted the queen on the name.
"The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement,” clarified the representative. “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."
The Queen has reportedly also met her great-granddaughter via video call, continuing her long-standing tradition of using technology to keep in touch with Harry and Meghan from across the pond. According to a source close to the couple, the parents of two were “very excited and couldn't wait to share that their daughter arrived,” calling up the Queen to give her a first glimpse at Lili.
While we don’t know who else has gotten to see Lili yet, we do know that Prince Charles is also celebrating the expansion of his family despite being on rockier terms with his youngest son. Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah revealed a number of troubling things about the father-son dynamic, but it seems that the pair is on track towards mending that rift. The Crown Prince spoke publicly about his new granddaughter during a recent public appearance, calling Lilibet’s birth “happy news.”
After the past year, the birth of a child might be exactly what The Firm needs to repair these strained familial ties.