Meghan Markle reportedly registered the name Lilibet for commercial use before her daughter was born in 2021, according to claims in a royal author's book. Lilibet was Queen Elizabeth II's personal childhood nickname, used by her closest family.
The book alleges that after the birth, the Queen was deeply upset by the Sussexes announcing she had given her blessing to use the name, with one aide recalling her being "as angry as I'd ever seen her." While news reports at the time suggested the Queen felt unable to refuse the request, a Palace source indicated she was not asked for her blessing. According to the book, Queen Elizabeth II expressed distress over the use of her unique personal name, stating, "I don't own the palaces or the paintings, only my name, and now they've taken that." Royal biographer Angela Levin criticized the couple, stating that Meghan had "taken out the names officially" before Lilibet's birth for commercial purposes.
Levin described this as "awful for the Queen" because it implied the Queen's support for organizations using the intimate family name, which was meant for her and her loved ones. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle countered these claims, stating that the Duke spoke with his grandmother in advance and she was the first family member he called.
They asserted that if she had not been supportive, they would not have used the name Lilibet in honor of the late Queen.
