Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly ‘shocked’ about the controversial reaction to their baby name

Following reports that Queen Elizabeth II was left 'furious' over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to name their daughter after her childhood nickname, the couple are reportedly ‘shocked’ over the public's outraged reaction but not, sadly, surprised as the 'smear campaign' continues.

Choosing a baby name is one of the first, and hardest, decisions you can make as a parent. Do you follow the crowd and choose one of 2024's trendiest baby names, or do you opt for a unique baby name no one else will have heard of, let alone use themselves? 

Well, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle found out they were pregnant with their second child, a girl, they knew exactly what name to give her. Following her birth in 2021, it was confirmed the couple had chosen the name Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, with her first name honouring Queen Elizabeth's childhood nickname and her second a tribute to Princess Diana. 

While the name was intended to be a sweet tribute to Harry's grandmother, the late Queen, a new royal book has suggested Queen Elizabeth was actually 'furious' over the choice as the couple failed to get permission from the then-monarch to use it. 

However, while the public have gone mad over the accusation, with many taking to social media to call out the couple, Harry and Meghan have reportedly been left 'shocked' as, simply, 'the report is not true.'

"Meghan and Harry 100% got permission from the Queen to use the name Lilibet,” an insider told Us Weekly. "The report is not true. They don’t know where this is coming from. [They are] shocked that this is coming now; it seems out of nowhere and out of left field. They just feel like it’s more of the same smear campaign that continues against them.”

The insider also points out the 'convenient' timing of the claim. “They feel it’s convenient [that] this is surfacing now when the Queen is not here to defend herself and can’t say what is true or false,” they said.

Whether or not they did get permission to use the Queen's nickname for their daughter, Harry and Meghan were years ahead of a current baby name trend when they chose to call their daughter, who sits seventh in the royal line of succession, Lilibet. 

Nicknames’ were 2023’s biggest baby name trend, with more and more parents giving their children first names that have, more often, been used only as nicknames. It's just one of many baby naming trends that have arisen over the last few months, with many old fashioned baby names making a comeback as well as Disney-inspired baby names and baby names inspired by the HBO show Succession also gaining popularity.