The late Queen was so upset at Prince Harry and Meghan naming their daughter Lilibet that she told aides they had taken the only thing she owned, it has been claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s spokesperson said the couple chose the name after seeking permission from the late monarch, and would not have done so if she had objected.
The name was a childhood nickname of Queen Elizabeth and also used as an affectionate nickname by her husband Prince Philip throughout their relationship.
However, according to excerpts from royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, published in the Daily Mail, the late monarch was so upset at the naming choice that she told aides: “I don't own the palaces, I don't own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they've taken that.”
The paper said the-then 95-year-old monarch was taken aback when she was told by the Duke of Sussex of his intention to give his daughter the name Lilibet in her honour but didn't feel she could say no.
The couple have previously strongly rebutted any suggestion that they did not secure the late Queen’s blessing to name Lilibet in her honour.
Speaking previously through a spokesman, they said: “The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement - in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called.
“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”
The row over the naming of the Duke and Duchesses’ daughter has resurfaced after a new book, Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, currently being serialised in the Daily Mail, claimed the Queen was “angry” over the couple’s assertion they had sought her blessing for the name.
The book also revealed that Queen Elizabeth II’s final moments were described as “very peaceful” in a memo written by her private secretary, which also said she “wouldn’t have been aware of anything”.
A note about the late Queen’s death at Balmoral on September 8 2022 was written by Sir Edward Young.
He noted: “Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.”
