Ever since they moved away from the U.K. to the U.S. in 2020 to take a step back from royal life, the cameras have been much less invasive of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their family.
When their youngest child, Lilibet, was born, the couple had been out of the U.K. for over a year, and unlike most royal children, not much is currently known about Lilibet.
Lilibet Was Born in 2021
Born in Santa Barbara, which is where Meghan and Harry live, Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021, according to an official statement by the couple on their official website.
She was born in the late morning at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces.
Lilibet Has Dual Citizenship
Even though Lilibet was born in the U.S., she has been able to get dual citizenship, according to US Weekly.
As Prince Harry is a British citizen, this means that she is able to have dual U.K.-U.S. citizenship, with her older brother Archie, who was born in the U.K., being afforded the same.
Lilibet Is Named after Her Grandparents
Wanting to make her name as sentimental as possible, her full name is Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, and has been given the nickname “Lili.”
She is called Lilibet after the late Queen Elizabeth II, as this was her childhood nickname. The name Diana comes from Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Harry and Meghan Apparently Sought Queen Elizabeth’s Approval
Due to giving their daughter a nickname that was very personal to the queen, the couple only found it right to seek her approval first.
According to Vanity Fair, it is royal tradition to seek the monarch’s approval for the naming of a child, and the late queen was only delighted to grant them permission.
Queen Elizabeth Was Said to Be Infuriated with Harry and Meghan
Despite the news at the time claiming that the late queen was happy with the use of her treasured nickname, recent reports suggest otherwise.
The Independent has suggested that the queen wasn’t as happy as Harry and Meghan had everyone believe, with one member of her staff claiming the queen had been “as angry as I’d ever seen her” when the name was publicized.
Lilibet Is Now a Princess
The royal line of succession dictates that only those who are the children or grandchildren of the current monarch can be made a prince or princess, according to Debretts.
As Queen Elizabeth was ruling when she was born, she couldn’t be a princess as she was her great-grandchild. However, as Charles is now king and she is his granddaughter, Lilibet is now a princess.
Lilibet Is Currently Seventh in Line to the Throne
Harry and Meghan may have left royal life behind, but that doesn’t mean they or their children couldn’t possibly become king or queen one day.
Lilibet is seventh in line to the throne, with her brother Archie sixth in line and father Prince Harry fifth in line, behind Prince William and his three children.
Lilibet Is the First Grandchild of a British Monarch to be Born in the U.S.
As Harry and Meghan had already made their move to the U.S. by the time she was born, this meant that Lilibet ended up being born there.
Lilibet’s birth meant that she was officially the first grandchild and great-grandchild of a monarch to have been born in the U.S., as reported by People.
Lilibet’s Godfather Is Tyler Perry
Most people’s godparents are people who are close to their parents, which means that many are unlikely to have famous filmmakers as their godparents.
However, after he let Harry and Meghan stay in his California home when they first moved to the U.S., as reported by Entertainment Weekly, the couple decided to repay the favor somewhat and asked Tyler Perry to be Lilibet’s godfather, which he politely accepted.
Lilibet Is a Redhead
Prince Harry’s genes have been strong when it comes to his children, as both of them have followed in their father’s footsteps in being redheads.
During an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Harry revealed that “the ginger gene is a strong one” and that he had expected Meghan’s genes to be stronger than his.
Lilibet Met Queen Elizabeth Before She Died
While the late queen was celebrating her platinum jubilee a few months before she died, she was also able to meet her namesake for the very first time, as reported by US Weekly.
As the queen had to cancel some of her appearances at various events due to her health, it was said that being able to spend time with her great-grandchildren added a bit of light relief to her.
Lilibet’s Surname Is Now Sussex
When she was born, both Lilibet and Archie were given the surname “Mountbatten-Windsor.”
However, since then, the children have become prince and princess, and as is royal tradition, Harry and Meghan are using their title as their children’s last name, which is Sussex (via People).
