The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a new little royal to love! People reports that on Friday, the couple’s second child arrived, a daughter they have named Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home,” read a statement from the couple released Sunday afternoon (h/t People), which further explained the origin of her unique name.
“Lili 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.”
The Sussexes’ second pregnancy was sweetly debuted on Valentine’s Day of this year, with the news that two-year-old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor would soon become a big brother. The “overjoyed” announcement also followed the publication of “The Losses We Share,” a poignant New York Times op-ed penned by Meghan last November in which she disclosed that she’d miscarried a pregnancy the preceding summer.
“Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she wrote.
With Lili’s birth, the couple presumably now considers their family complete, as they agreed “two is it” while speaking with Oprah in March—at which time they also revealed they were expecting a daughter.
“To have a boy then a girl—what more can you ask for?” said Harry, sharing that he was “grateful,” for the opportunity to welcome a daughter. “Having any child, any one or a two would have been amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl . . . now we’ve got our family and we’ve got four of us.”
An additional announcement of Lili’s birth was made via the couple’s Archewell Foundation website, reading:
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. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.
Naming their only daughter in tribute to the queen may also go some way in facilitating healing in the royal family amid the rift that has been widening since the couple officially exited their senior royal duties in March 2020.
As Harry also told Oprah during the couple’s interview (h/t Elle): “I’ve spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have [in] many, many years. My grandmother and I have a really good relationship and understanding, and I have deep respect for her.”
Despite recent speculation that the Sussexes might join the rest of the royal family for Trooping the Colour, the queen’s birthday celebration on June 12, obviously the arrival of a newborn precludes travel (especially in an ongoing pandemic). The family will reportedly remain stateside.