Lilibet: What does Prince Harry and Meghan's baby name mean?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's second child Lilibet Diana has a named rooted in royalty.

Congratulations were in order for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who welcomed their first daughter and second child together back in June 2021. And with latest confirmation that Lilibet's royal title has changed, we look at all you need to know about her name.

The new family addition is seventh-in-line to the throne and the new baby sister of the couple's first born Archie Harrison.

And as the Queen's 11th great-grandchild, it's no wonder that her name has special attachments to the incredible monarch herself.

What does Lilibet mean and where does the name come from?

Lilibet is a name associated with Queen Elizabeth II. 

Her Majesty was known as Lilibet by close family members as a young child and the nickname has stuck with her throughout her life.

Lilibet therefore derives from the girl's name Elizabeth which translates as “God is my oath.”

The name is of Hebrew origin, with the Greek variation known as "Elisabet".

Lilibet was officially christened on March 3, 2023, the Sussexes confirmed in a statement.

Why is the Queen called Lilibet?

The Queen was first called Lilibet by her grandfather King George V.

As a toddler Queen Elizabeth struggled to pronounce her first name properly and Lilibet was one attempt that King George went on to imitate and call his beloved granddaughter.

The nickname stuck and went on to be used by the Queens family, including her own father.

King George VI once reportedly said of his two daughters that "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy."

The then Princess Elizabeth also adopted the moniker when writing thank-you letters to her family. In one note sent to her grandmother Queen Mary, Elizabeth thanked her for "the lovely doll's house", signing off as "Lilibet xxx".

Prince Philip was also known to call his wife Lilibet throughout their 73-year-marriage.

In one of the Duke of Edinburgh's romantic gestures, shortly after their wedding in 1947, Prince Philip assured the Queen Mother that he would 'cherish' his new wife:

"Cherish Lilibet? I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me," he said.

He then went on to say that he had "fallen in love completely and unreservedly", adding: “The only thing in this world which is absolutely real to me, and my ambition, is to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good.”

Further acknowledgement of the sweet nickname came to light at Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021. People magazine reported that the Queen signed a handwritten note from Lilibet, which was buried with her late husband's coffin.

Why did Harry and Meghan choose the name Lilibet?

Harry and Meghan chose the name Lilibet as a tribute to the Queen.

In a statement announcing the birth of their new-born daughter, the couple revealed their reasons behind the name:

"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet."

Whilst her full-name will be registered as Lilibet, it is understood that the child will be known as "Lili".

Harry and Meghan also paid tribute to the Prince's mother - the late Princess Diana who died in 1997.

"Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales," the statement added.

Lilibet isn't the first royal to honour Diana in her name. With Princess Charlotte's middle name also being Diana. Like his brother, Prince William wanted to pay tribute to his mother when his first and only daughter was born in 2015.

What is her last name?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed their daughter's surname as Mountbatten-Windsor.

Her full name is therefore Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, with the surname the same as her older brother Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

The double-barrelled last name is another tribute to Harry's grandparents. It is a a combination of the late Prince Philip's surname ‘Mountbatten’ and the Queen’s family name of ‘Windsor’.

The special surname was first created in 1960 following the couple's union and is the surname used by all four of the Queen's children.

Will Lilibet Diana have a title?

Yes, Lilibet does have a new royal title, after Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed that both Archie and Lilibet were given Prince and Princess of Sussex titles as part of their 'birthright' following King Charles taking the throne as monarch.

The change was officially made on the Royal Family website on Thursday, 9th March, but Harry confirmed that the decision had been made "for some time".

The statement reads, "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became Monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace."

But when Lilibet Diana was born she did not have a royal title for the same reason why Archie was not a prince.

A change in protocol in 1917 made it law that only children and grandchildren of the monarch can be given a HRH or prince or princess title.

At that time as Lilibet is a great-grandchild of the Queen, she therefore did not receive a royal title. But Harry and Meghan's daughter is entitled to a HRH title when Prince Charles is King, as they will then be direct grandchildren of the sovereign. And this change has since been reflected in their new royal titles.