Celebrity

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Welcomed Their Baby Girl

The couple chose a meaningful moniker.

by Mary Kate McGrath
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 09:  Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the C...
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are having a big weekend! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their baby girl on Friday, June 4, confirming the news on their Archewell website. The baby was born “in the trusted care of the doctors and staff” at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

“It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world,” the press release stated in part. “She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.”

The Sussexes also shared the meaning behind their daughter’s name, saying, “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.” Her middle name, Diana, is a nod to Prince Harry’s late mother Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The couple, who also have 2-year-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, shared a special message of thanks for fans on the website as well. “On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,” the Archewell founders wrote. “She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

Lilibet’s name will have a special significance to Prince Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was referred to by this nickname by family members as a child, according to People. Her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April, used the nickname for her throughout their 73-year marriage. At his funeral, Queen Elizabeth left a handwritten note for him that she signed with the childhood nickname.

Fans will also not be surprised that Harry and Meghan chose a name that pays tribute to his mother. Prince William and Kate Middleton also honored Diana when naming their daughter, Princess Charlotte. The royal’s 6-year-old bears the full name Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Harry and Meghan revealed their second baby would be a girl during their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. The couple told the host that they didn’t have plans to have more children but were grateful for their current family unit. “To have any child, any one or any two, would be amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for?” Harry said. “Now we’ve got our family. We’ve got the four of us and our two dogs, and it’s great.”