Harry and Meghan insist they asked the queen about naming their daughter after her
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are shooting down a report that they never asked the queen about naming their daughter in her honor — and they're reportedly issuing a legal threat over the claim.
A BBC report on Wednesday cited a Buckingham Palace source as saying that Queen Elizabeth II "was not asked by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about naming their daughter Lilibet," the queen's nickname since she was a kid. Harry and Meghan announced the birth of their second child, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex, however, denied this report to CNN, saying Harry did speak to the queen about it.
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"The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement," the spokesperson told CNN. "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 honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the names."
The BBC report cited a source close to the Sussexes as saying that Harry spoke to the queen before his daughter's birth and "would have mentioned the name," but the report added that a Palace source disputes this.
Now, The Daily Beast reports that "lawyers acting on behalf of the former royals issued a legal threat," citing a British newspaper source as saying that "a rare legal warning had gone out to the papers advising them not to repeat the allegation."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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