The second born of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is the first royal baby of the UK to be born in the US.
The arrival of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor has brought a lot of happiness to the royal family. Born as the first child of senior royal members to be born in the USA, Lili made history with her birth. However, there are other reasons that make her birth even more special.
According to People, the second born of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be the first child in the royal family to have met the Queen for the first time through a video call. As per the sources, the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex were "very excited and couldn't wait to share that their daughter arrived" with the Queen. So as soon as they reached their home in Montecito from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California, the couple called the Queen.
Announcing the arrival of their daughter through their non-profit Archewell, the couple revealed that their daughter was named after Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana.
"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales," said the statement, according to People.
The moniker Lilibet came about when little Elizabeth could not pronounce her own name right as a toddler, and the nickname was picked by Her parents and Her husband of 73 years. When he passed away in April 2021, the Queen left a note signed Lilibet on top of his coffin.
Prior to announcing the name to the world, Harry had informed his grandmother of his decision. Royal historian Robert Lacey stated that the Prince and the Queen shared a special bond after the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
In the absence of a motherly figure, Harry looked up to his grandmother. "She was a sort of stepmother for both Harry and William. We have all focused on her coaching of William as the future King, but we are realizing now the importance of the emotional bonds that she's been able to establish with Harry and their ability to talk to each other directly. That affection remains," said Lacey.
Though Harry's shift away from the royal family created differences and conflict in the family, the Prince and the Queen have tried to stay in each other's life. Speaking to Late Late Show host James Corden, Harry revealed he had a zoom call with the Queen and his late grandfather, Prince Philip, in February 2021. "They've seen Archie running around," said the Prince, according to People.
Meanwhile, it is not clear when the couple will introduce their newborn to the rest of the family. It is believed that the couple might celebrate Christmas in Sandringham depending on the pandemic restrictions. While there is a lack of clarity regarding Lili's meet with the family, the royal members are thrilled by the news. According to Page Six, Prince Charles called the birth of his grandchild "such happy news." Lilibet is Prince Charles's fifth grandchild.
It also seems like the birth of Lili has brought the family closer after Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey didn't go well with the royal family.
References:
https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-introduced-baby-lilibet-to-queen-in-video-call/
https://pagesix.com/2021/06/08/prince-charles-calls-baby-lilibets-arrival-such-happy-news/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos by (L) Eddie Mulholland and (R) Stuart C. Wilson
