LISTEN | UK public expresses mixed reactions to name of Harry and Meghan’s new baby

08 June 2021 - 12:21 By Paige Muller
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have welcomed their second child.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have welcomed their second child.
Image: Reuters

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor or “Lili” for short, into the world on June 4.

The baby was named after her grandmother, Princess Diana, and great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The name Lilibet, while unconventional, was originally the childhood nickname of the queen, who could not pronounce her name when she was a toddler.

King George V interpreted his granddaughter’s attempts to say “Elizabeth” as “Lilibet”. The name stuck and has been used by the family ever since, including, as an affectionate nickname, by the queen’s late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April.

However, given the strenuous and widely publicised split between the young couple and the royal family in March last year, the name has received mixed reviews from members of the British public.

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In tweets, the royal family has passed on their congratulations to the couple, saying they are “delighted” by the news of the arrival of the 11th great-grandchild of the queen.

Audio provided by Reuters 


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