Royal biographer Robert Hardman has revealed that the late Queen was “very upset” about the Lilibet name scandal.
The The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have become the subject of a scathing claim made in a new book, written by esteemed royal author Robert Hardman.
In the new book, named Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story, Hardman alleges the Queen was “very angry” after Meghan and Harry used her childhood nickname, Lilibet, as the name for their daughter.
Queen Elizabeth reportedly told Palace aides at the time: “I don’t own the palaces or the paintings, only my name, and now they’ve taken that.”
Lilibet was the Queen’s childhood nickname
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Speaking on GBNews today Robert Hardman said: “People have interpreted this idea that the Queen was furious at the appropriation of her name.
“She was upset, very upset. And it wasn’t to do with the name. It was the fact that afterward, the couple let it be known that she had given her blessing for this name.
“And then Johnny Diamond of the BBC broke the story that the Queen hadn’t been asked, she’d been informed.”
He added: “It wasn’t a case of ‘can we have your blessing?’ So the BBC reported this, at which point the Sussex reached for the lawyers and said ‘you can’t say that or imply she didn’t have our blessing.’
“The team Sussex then tried to get the palace to endorse their position. And that’s the point at which the Queen figuratively said recollections may vary.
“She said that she wasn’t going to be forced into saying something that she hadn’t said, it was presented to her rather than permission sought that’s the number of the issue.”
Speaking about whether they could return to the UK Hardman said: “I can’t envisage a situation where they’re back as part of the Royal working unit, but I can certainly see it becoming a kind of normal thing for them to keep coming back.
“I hope so because, you know, it’s a family at the end of the day and they did have so much to give. I mean, when you look back on that sunny day in May 2018 and that sense of promise, all they were going to be doing for the Commonwealth.
“That’s very much what the King had in mind for the future, that there would be this sort of twin track – you’d have William and Catherine, and you’d also have Harry and Meghan.
“Fundamentally, I think everyone’s so sad, I think they’re beyond being angry. Everyone would like to see some sort of rapprochement.”
The author also discussed his feelings toward the pair and revealed that he found them to be “prickly.”
He explained: “They feel that you know something hasn’t gone their way and that this is part of some sort of calculated campaign against them.”
