Meghan and Harry announce birth of daughter Lilibet

Newswire

Britain’s Duchess of Sussex Meghan has given birth to her second child, a baby girl, who she and husband Prince Harry have named after Queen Elizabeth and his late mother Princess Diana.

Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on Friday at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, with Harry in attendance.

“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. 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,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement published on their website.

“She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home,” the statement said.

The newborn is named after her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet, the document read.

Shortly after the announcement, Buckingham Palace said the queen, Harry’s father Prince Charles and his brother and wife, Prince William and Kate, were delighted with the news.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined them in sending his congratulations.

The birth comes after Harry and Meghan’s explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

The couple described painful discussions about the colour of their first child’s skin, losing royal protection and the intense pressures that led Meghan to contemplate suicide.

Buckingham Palace said the allegations of racism made by the couple were “concerning”. The royal family said the issue would be addressed privately.

Harry and American actor Meghan Markle married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son Archie was born a year later.

In early 2020, Meghan and Harry announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, California.

Last year, Meghan revealed that she had a miscarriage in July 2020, giving a personal account of the traumatic experience in hope of helping others.

Months before the miscarriage, Harry said the royal family cut him off financially at the start of 2020 after he announced plans to step back from his roles.

But he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his mother, Princess Diana, left behind.

In the interview with Winfrey, Meghan said she grew concerned about her son not having a royal title because it meant he would not be provided security. She said digesting everything while pregnant was “very hard”.

More than the “prince” title, she was the most concerned about her son’s safety and protection.

Meghan also revealed it was hard for her to understand why there were concerns within the royal family about her son’s skin colour. She said it was hard for her to “compartmentalize” those conversations.