Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to her second child with Prince Harry, welcoming a daughter in California.
The couple’s press secretary said in a statement: “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”.
According to the statement, both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.
The press secretary noted that Lilibet was born on Friday morning, June 4 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. The press secretary through the statement also mentioned that the child is named after Queen Elizabeth, Harry’s grandmother, “whose family nickname is Lilibet”.
Why Lilibet
Lilibet was coined when Queen Elizabeth was just a toddler and couldn’t pronounce her name properly. Her grandfather, King George V, would affectionately call her Lilibet, imitating her own attempts to say her name. It soon stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on.
The Queen’s late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, also called her by the nickname, and wrote to his mother-in-law after their wedding: “Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me.”
Baby Lili’s middle name, Diana, is in tribute to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when he was 12 years old.
In a message of thanks on the couple’s Archewell website, they said: “On June 4, we;were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we;remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family”
The couple have a 2-year-old son, Archie, and wished to;thank the public “for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.”
It is worth mentioning that Lilibet is eighth in the line of succession for the throne. Harry and Meghan’s children do not have titles like “Prince” or “Princess” because only the;grandchildren of the monarch have those titles, although Queen Elizabeth made an exception for William’s children since they are in the direct line of succession.
Royals congratulate Meghan and Prince Harry
That notwithstanding, Buckingham Palace and some other royals have taken to social media to congratulate the couple and welcome the new baby.
Prince William and Catherine who are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tweeted about the birth. They used their go-to royal term “delighted” in congratulating the Sussexes on the arrival of baby Lili.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, and Camilla tweeted a photo of Prince Harry, Meghan, and baby Archie. They also threw in a confetti ball emoji for extra celebratory and excitement.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II hasn’t given an official statement but The Royal Family, the official Twitter account for Buckingham Palace, posted about the birth. It was more of a group message, speaking for the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Catherine.
Posting a photo of Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding day, the tweet indicated that they’re all “delighted” about the birth of Lilibet.
Read also: PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN ARE EXPECTING A SECOND CHILD
