Meghan Markle proudly shares a photo of her daughter Lilibet after rumors of a fake pregnancy: \u201cMy daughter has grown so much, and her hair, identical to her biological father\u2019s, is truly\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Princess Lilibet of Sussex: All About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u2019s Daughter
\nPrince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their daughter, Lilibet Diana, in June 2021<\/p>\n
After welcoming their son, Archie Harrison, in May 2019, the couple welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet \u201cLili\u201d Diana Mountbatten Windsor, now Princess Lilibet of Sussex, on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California.<\/p>\n
The birth of Lilibet came after Markle penned an essay for the New York Times, revealing she suffered a miscarriage in between pregnancies.<\/p>\n
After their loss, Meghan became pregnant with Lili later that year and the couple have since settled into life with two little ones. On a November 2022 episode of her Archetypes podcast, Meghan said that she\u2019s \u201cin the thick of it \u2014 toddling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet: Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry\u2019s Kids Now Have Royal Titles
\nDespite the demands of parenthood, Prince Harry told Today host Hoda Kotb while promoting the Invictus Games in 2022 that he is greatly enjoying fatherhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it. I love every part of it. I\u2019ve always wanted to be a dad,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to have my own kids, and now I got two little people who I\u2019m responsible for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lili is the youngest grandchild of King Charles. Even though Harry and Meghan have a strained relationship with the royal family, they hope their children will have a close connection with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve said before that I\u2019ve wanted a family, not an institution \u2014 so of course, I would love nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which brings me great joy,\u201d Harry said in a 2023 PEOPLE cover story.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u2019s daughter, Lilibet Diana.<\/p>\n
She was born in June 2021 in Santa Barbara
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\nThe couple welcomed Lili on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. She was born at 11:40 a.m. and weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn 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\u2019ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family,\u201d the second-time parents wrote on their Archewell website shortly after her arrival.<\/p>\n
Members of the royal family also congratulated the couple on their new addition, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, who wrote a congratulatory message on their official Instagram account.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie,\u201d they captioned a photo of a pregnant Markle holding Archie in her arms with Harry embracing them from behind.<\/p>\n
She is named after Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana
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\nIn a statement released after Lili\u2019s birth, which was during Queen Elizabeth\u2019s reign, the couple detailed the special meaning behind their daughter\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
\u201cLili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name Lilibet was affectionately used by Queen Elizabeth\u2019s father King George VI, who once said of his two daughters, \u201cLilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy.\u201d It was a pet name used by other family members, most notably her late husband, Prince Philip.<\/p>\n
When Prince Philip died in 2021, his casket was adorned with a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth signed \u201cLilibet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prince Harry and Meghan sought Queen Elizabeth\u2019s approval for using her nickname as their daughter\u2019s moniker.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE in a statement, \u201cThe Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called. During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLili\u201d also serves as a tribute to Meghan\u2019s mother, Doria Ragland, who gave Meghan the childhood nickname \u201cFlower.\u201d
\nThe rule, established by King George V after he issued a Letters Patent in 1917, read: \u201d \u2026 the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.\u201d<\/p>\n
The siblings did not have these titles at birth since their grandfather was not a monarch then. PEOPLE understands that the titles will be used in more formal settings and not in everyday use.<\/p>\n
In February 2024, Lili became Princess Lilibet of Sussex when her parents adopted Sussex as the family\u2019s surname.<\/p>\n
She is the first grandchild of King Charles and the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth to be born in America
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\nAfter stepping back as working royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan left the U.K. and temporarily moved to Canada before settling in the United States, specifically Montecito, California.<\/p>\n
Although Lili wasn\u2019t the first royal baby to be born in America \u2014 Lord Frederick Windsor (the son of Queen Elizabeth\u2019s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent) and his wife Sophie Winkleman welcomed their daughter, Maud Windsor, in California in 2013 \u2014 she did make history by being the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and the first grandchild of King Charles to be born in the United States.<\/p>\n
She is 7th in line to the throne
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\nBoth Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are in the line of succession to the British throne. Their father is currently fifth in line to the throne, behind Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, with Archie is sixth and Lilibet seventh.<\/p>\n
However, if any of Prince William and Kate Middleton\u2019s children have kids, the succession order will change with Prince Harry and his children moving down in the list.<\/p>\n
In 2013, the legal basis for the line of succession was amended to end the system of male primogeniture, which placed male heirs above their female siblings in the line of succession. Concurrently, the amendments also removed a historic rule that a royal could not keep their position on the list if they married a Roman Catholic. The changes came into effect in March 2015 but only apply to royal children born after Oct. 28, 2011.<\/p>\n
Her godfather is Tyler Perry
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\nIn the final episode of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Tyler Perry \u2014 who offered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex his California home to move into after they stepped back from royal duties temporarily \u2014 revealed that the couple called him and asked him to be Lili\u2019s godfather after she was born.<\/p>\n
The filmmaker shared that while their chats are more lighthearted, they \u201cwere pretty serious on the phone\u201d when they called to ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cI go, \u2018Okay, what\u2019s going on?\u2019 They said, \u2018Well, we\u2019d like for you to be Lili\u2019s godfather.\u2019 I go, \u2018Whoa,\u2019 \u201d Perry said. \u201cI had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, \u2018I\u2019d be honored. I\u2019d absolutely be honored.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
She was christened in March 2023
\nLili was christened in a small and intimate ceremony at the family\u2019s Montecito home on March 3, 2023, by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Rev. John Taylor.<\/p>\n
An insider told PEOPLE around 20 to 30 guests were in attendance, including Tyler Perry, Doria Ragland and an unnamed godmother.<\/p>\n
Royal Family Didn\u2019t Come to Princess Lilibet\u2019s Christening Despite Invite from Meghan and Harry
\nFollowing the ceremony, guests were treated to an afternoon of food and dancing, and Archie even enjoyed a dance with Lili.<\/p>\n
Perry flew in from Atlanta with a 10-person gospel choir that sang \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d and \u201cThis Little Light of Mine,\u201d the same song performed at Harry and Meghan\u2019s 2018 wedding.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed Lili was christened and referred to her as Princess Lili for the first time, reflecting her title.<\/p>\n
She has red hair like her father and brother
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\nEven though the world first got a glimpse of Lili when she was a few months old on the front of the family\u2019s 2021 holiday card, it wasn\u2019t until her first birthday when the parents released a portrait of their daughter that it was noticeable she took after her dad in the hair department.<\/p>\n
While promoting his memoir Spare on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Harry joked that \u201cthe ginger gene is a strong one,\u201d as their son Archie also has a tint of red hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Spencer gene is very, very strong,\u201d Harry said, referring to his mother\u2019s side of the family as all three of her siblings \u2014 Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer \u2014 have naturally red hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship [with Meghan] that should this go the distance and we have kids that there\u2019s no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife\u2019s genes, but I was wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n
She is featured in her mom\u2019s debut children\u2019s book
\nA illustration of a father and son are seen inside a copy of Meghan Markle\u2019s book \u201cThe Bench\u201d
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\nThe Duchess of Sussex released her debut children\u2019s book in 2021 titled The Bench, which explores the bond between fathers and sons as seen through a mother\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father\u2019s Day, the month after Archie was born,\u201d Meghan shared in the press release from publisher Random House Children\u2019s Books. \u201cThat poem became this story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Illustrated by Caldecott-winning artist Christian Robinson, the picture book features watercolor illustrations resembling Prince Harry, Archie and Meghan wearing Lili in a body wrap on one of the pages.<\/p>\n
Meghan has a family heirloom to pass down to her
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\nWhen Lili is old enough to wear a watch, her mom has an heirloom waiting for her.<\/p>\n
In 2015, Meghan \u2014 who was starring in the USA Network show Suits \u2014 told Hello! magazine that when she found out the show was picked up for a third season, \u201cwhich, at the time, felt like such a milestone,\u201d she splurged on something she always wanted: the two-tone version of the Cartier French Tank watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had it engraved on the back, \u2018To M.M. From M.M.\u2019 and I plan to give it to my daughter one day,\u201d she revealed. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry says she is \u201cvery chilled\u201d
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\nWhile speaking with a guest at a private garden party for the WellChild Awards in 2021, Harry revealed that Lili was \u201cvery chilled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been lucky so far,\u201d he added. \u201cShe\u2019s very chilled and seems happy to just sit there while Archie is running around like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
She celebrated her first birthday on royal grounds
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\nLili\u2019s first birthday fell during Queen Elizabeth\u2019s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lili flew to the U.K. to celebrate Queen Elizabeth\u2019s historic reign, but Lili\u2019s parents made sure to also commemorate their daughter\u2019s big day.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared that the couple invited close friends and family to gather for a \u201ccasual, intimate backyard picnic\u201d at their previous home, Frogmore Cottage.<\/p>\n
Baker Claire Ptak from East London\u2019s Violet Bakery \u2014 who created Harry and Meghan\u2019s 2018 wedding cake \u2014 was tasked with creating a special cake for Lili, and Harry and Meghan released a portrait of the birthday girl, donning a blue dress and big smile, with her signature red hair.<\/p>\n
Queen Elizabeth took time during the week-long celebration to wish her great-granddaughter a happy birthday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!\u201d read a tweet from the official royal family Twitter account.<\/p>\n
In June 2024, Harry and Meghan celebrated Lili\u2019s third birthday with a party at their home in Montecito, California.<\/p>\n
She started walking shortly after her first birthday
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\nAccording to Prince Harry, Lili took her first steps around 10 months old.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer current priorities are trying to keep up with her brother; she took her first step just a few days ago!\u201d the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in April 2022. \u201cProud papa, here.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few months later, the Duchess of Sussex revealed during a November 2022 Archetypes podcast that Lili was officially walking.<\/p>\n
\u201cLili has just started walking,\u201d Meghan told her guest, actress Pamela Adlon, in a conversation about being a wife and mother. \u201cShe\u2019s a year and a couple of months old.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is learning to use her voice
\nWhile speaking with one of the winners of the 2022 WellChild Awards, Harry gave an update on how his children were doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cArchie is very, very busy. And Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great,\u201d he told Henry Waines, who received the Inspirational Child Award for ages 4 to 6.<\/p>\n
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle\u2019s Children: All About Archie and Lilibet
\nEven though Lili is still a toddler, Meghan hopes that her daughter will one day know the power of having a voice. She shared on an episode of her Archetypes podcast with guest Pamela Adlon that since having her daughter, her perspective of womanhood has changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see the world differently through how she is going to see the world and how she is going to look at certain women as role models,\u201d Meghan said. \u201cAnd when I look at a lot of the women that I\u2019m speaking to on this show, you included, I want her to understand that it is not just a box you have to fit into, but you get to be a full-fledged, interesting, curious, kind, strong, all the things, human being. But you also get to be a woman with a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
She got to meet her namesake, Queen Elizabeth, before the monarch\u2019s death in 2022.
\nShortly after Lili\u2019s birth, the newborn had a very important family engagement to attend \u2014 meeting her namesake and great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.<\/p>\n
The prompt introduction, which happened via a video call, highlights the bond Harry shared with his grandmother, which grew stronger after his mother\u2019s tragic death in 1997.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother and I were very close, and we very much did have a special relationship,\u201d he told PEOPLE in an exclusive cover story in 2023.<\/p>\n
It is believed Queen Elizabeth got to meet her great-granddaughter in person when the Sussexes traveled to the U.K. for the Queen\u2019s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.<\/p>\n
The Duke of Sussex recalled fond memories he has of his late grandmother spending time with his children in his memoir, Spare.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t stop picturing them with Granny,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThe final visit. Archie making deep, chivalrous bows, his baby sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch\u2019s shins. Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused. She\u2019d expected them to be a bit more \u2026 American, I think? Meaning, in her mind, more rambunctious.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meghan Markle proudly shares a photo of her daughter Lilibet after rumors of a fake pregnancy: \u201cMy daughter has grown so much, and her hair, identical to her biological father\u2019s, is truly\u2026\u201d Princess Lilibet...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n