Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed that they chose to name their newborn daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor so that they could honor Queen Elizabeth II and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
However, according to some royal experts, Meghan Markle opted to name her daughter after a flower as a tribute to her mother, Doria Ragland.
Apparently, the name had a special connection to Doria Ragland because she used the nickname “Flower” for Meghan Markle ever since she was a child, according to an unearthed blog post on her lifestyle site that was deleted after she married Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex previously opened up about her various nicknames in her old online blog, The Tig, and listed “Meg, MM, M&M, and Flower (which my mom has called me since I was little)” as the most common ones.
Angela Levin, author of the biography Harry: Conversations with the Prince, had this say about the nod to Ragland: “It is a bit of a nod to Meghan’s mother Doria as well, because Meghan’s mother’s nickname for her is flower, hence why we’ve got Lili in there for Lilibet.”
Levin also claimed that the choice of the name was “rude” to the Queen, mainly because “Lilibet” was the monarch’s private nickname that was used by her late grandfather, King George V.
Reporter Afua Adom, who discussed the news with Susanna Reid during a recent episode of Good Morning Britain, also voiced his opinion about the matter.
He stated that Lilibet was “such a pretty name, it’s such a cute name. It is not just about being named after the Queen.”
The journalist then explained that the baby girl’s name was also a “bit of a nod to Meghan’s mother” because of her nickname for Meghan.
But, Susanna Reid did not appear to share Adom’s opinion because she replied with, “It is a bit of a stretch.”
However, it appears that not everyone was a fan of the royal baby’s name, as many voiced their concerns against the unusual naming.
A source close to the yoga instructor spoke to Page Six and said she is over the moon to be a grandmother for the second time.
The insider revealed: “Doria is overjoyed to welcome her new granddaughter.”
The 64-year-old Californian was not present at the hospital when her daughter gave birth but has since moved in with the power couple in their $14.5 million Montecito mansion to help out with baby Lili Diana.
