Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid a “touching tribute” to the Queen by naming their daughter Lilibet, an expert claims.
Professor Kate Williams, who penned a biography of the 95-year-old monarch, says it is “sad” that people can’t see it.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Sunday, June 6 that their second child had been born on Friday, June 4 in Santa Barbara, California.
They named her Lilibet as a meaningful nod to the Queen's family nickname, which was given to her by her grandfather George V when she struggled to pronounce her own name.
The choice sparked a backlash, with claims it is “rude” towards Her Majesty.
But Prof Williams, who teaches modern history at Reading University and wrote the book Young Elizabeth and Rival Queens, said she had been left bemused by it.
She said the country’s royal history is “littered” with names given in honour of the reigning monarch.
The professor pointed out when Princess Eugenie recently gave her son the middle name Philip, a nod to the late Duke of Edinburgh, it was praised.
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Writing in the Daily Mail, she said the Sussexes “can’t win”, as they would have been criticised for choosing non-regal names too.
She said the couple have always heavily emphasised their respect for the Queen.
Prof Williams said: “Just two months ago, she lost her husband of 73 years and, with his death, it seemed as if that endearing nickname he had used all her life was likely to pass into extinction.
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“No longer. Instead, it has been given a new life by the latest generation of royals.
“It is sad that people cannot see the name as what it is: a touching gesture of respect and love to Britain’s longest reigning monarch.”
Although Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, have stepped down from the family business, they remain part of the family, she added.
Sources say Harry told his grandmother years ago that he wanted to name his future daughter after her nickname.
The choice is said to have left her “delighted”.
A royal source said: "It’s a fitting tribute to the Queen and something many people will hope brings the family closer together."
Lilibet's middle name, Diana, is a tribute to Harry's late mother Diana, who would have turned 60 on July 1.
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