Princess Lilibet of Sussex: All About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Daughter

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are enjoying life as a family of four. After welcoming their son, Archie Harrison, in May 2019, the couple welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten Windsor, now Princess Lilibet of Sussex, on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California. The birth of Lilibet came after Markle penned an essay for the New York Times, revealing she suffered a miscarriage in between pregnancies. Netflix “After changing [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right," she wrote in the 2020 piece. “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.” 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’s “in the thick of it — toddling.” Despite the demands of parenthood, Prince Harry told Today host Hoda Kotb while promoting the Invictus Games in 2022 that he is greatly enjoying fatherhood. “I love it. I love every part of it. I’ve always wanted to be a dad,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to have my own kids, and now I got two little people who I’m responsible for." 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. "I've said before that I've wanted a family, not an institution — 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," Harry said in a 2023 PEOPLE cover story. Here's everything to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Lilibet Diana. She was born in June 2021 in Santa Barbara Netflix The 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. “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," the second-time parents wrote on their Archewell website shortly after her arrival. 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. "We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie," they captioned a photo of a pregnant Markle holding Archie in her arms with Harry embracing them from behind. She is named after Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana Netflix In a statement released after Lili’s birth, which was during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the couple detailed the special meaning behind their daughter’s 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 name Lilibet was affectionately used by Queen Elizabeth's father King George VI, who once said of his two daughters, "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy." It was a pet name used by other family members, most notably her late husband, Prince Philip. When Prince Philip died in 2021, his casket was adorned with a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth signed “Lilibet.” Prince Harry and Meghan sought Queen Elizabeth’s approval for using her nickname as their daughter’s moniker. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told PEOPLE in a statement, "The 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." “Lili” also serves as a tribute to Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, who gave Meghan the childhood nickname "Flower." She is a princess Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, Harry’s father, King Charles, immediately became monarch. As grandchildren to the monarch, Archie and Lili were afforded the titles of prince and princess under a 20th-century rule. The rule, established by King George V after he issued a Letters Patent in 1917, read: " … 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." 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. In February 2024, Lili became Princess Lilibet of Sussex when her parents adopted Sussex as the family's surname. She is the first grandchild of King Charles and the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth to be born in America Netflix After 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. Although Lili wasn’t the first royal baby to be born in America — Lord Frederick Windsor (the son of Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent) and his wife Sophie Winkleman welcomed their daughter, Maud Windsor, in California in 2013 —  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. She is 7th in line to the throne Netflix Both 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. However, if any of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children have kids, the succession order will change with Prince Harry and his children moving down in the list. 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. Her godfather is Tyler Perry Netflix In the final episode of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, Tyler Perry — who offered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex his California home to move into after they stepped back from royal duties temporarily — revealed that the couple called him and asked him to be Lili’s godfather after she was born. The filmmaker shared that while their chats are more lighthearted, they "were pretty serious on the phone" when they called to ask. "I go, 'Okay, what's going on?' They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa,' " Perry said. "I had to take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honored. I'd absolutely be honored.' " She was christened in March 2023 Lili was christened in a small and intimate ceremony at the family’s Montecito home on March 3, 2023, by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Rev. John Taylor. An insider told PEOPLE around 20 to 30 guests were in attendance, including Tyler Perry, Doria Ragland and an unnamed godmother. Following the ceremony, guests were treated to an afternoon of food and dancing, and Archie even enjoyed a dance with Lili. Perry flew in from Atlanta with a 10-person gospel choir that sang “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine,” the same song performed at Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding. 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. She has red hair like her father and brother Netflix Even though the world first got a glimpse of Lili when she was a few months old on the front of the family's 2021 holiday card, it wasn’t 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. While promoting his memoir Spare on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Harry joked that “the ginger gene is a strong one,” as their son Archie also has a tint of red hair. "The Spencer gene is very, very strong," Harry said, referring to his mother’s side of the family as all three of her siblings — Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer — have naturally red hair. “I actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship [with Meghan] that should this go the distance and we have kids that there's no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife's genes, but I was wrong!" She is featured in her mom’s debut children’s book Leon Neal/Getty The Duchess of Sussex released her debut children’s book in 2021 titled The Bench, which explores the bond between fathers and sons as seen through a mother’s eye. "The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born," Meghan shared in the press release from publisher Random House Children's Books. "That poem became this story." 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. Meghan has a family heirloom to pass down to her Netflix When Lili is old enough to wear a watch, her mom has an heirloom waiting for her. In 2015, Meghan — who was starring in the USA Network show Suits — told Hello! magazine that when she found out the show was picked up for a third season, “which, at the time, felt like such a milestone,” she splurged on something she always wanted: the two-tone version of the Cartier French Tank watch. “I had it engraved on the back, ‘To M.M. From M.M.’ and I plan to give it to my daughter one day,” she revealed. “That’s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them.” Harry says she is "very chilled" Netflix While speaking with a guest at a private garden party for the WellChild Awards in 2021, Harry revealed that Lili was "very chilled." "We've been lucky so far," he added. "She's very chilled and seems happy to just sit there while Archie is running around like crazy." She celebrated her first birthday on royal grounds Netflix Lili’s first birthday fell during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lili flew to the U.K. to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s historic reign, but Lili’s parents made sure to also commemorate their daughter’s big day. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared that the couple invited close friends and family to gather for a "casual, intimate backyard picnic" at their previous home, Frogmore Cottage. Baker Claire Ptak from East London's Violet Bakery — who created Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding cake — 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. Queen Elizabeth took time during the week-long celebration to wish her great-granddaughter a happy birthday. "Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!" read a tweet from the official royal family Twitter account. In June 2024, Harry and Meghan celebrated Lili's third birthday with a party at their home in Montecito, California. She started walking shortly after her first birthday Netflix According to Prince Harry, Lili took her first steps around 10 months old. "Her current priorities are trying to keep up with her brother; she took her first step just a few days ago!" the Duke of Sussex told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in April 2022. “Proud papa, here." A few months later, the Duchess of Sussex revealed during a November 2022 Archetypes podcast that Lili was officially walking. "Lili has just started walking," Meghan told her guest, actress Pamela Adlon, in a conversation about being a wife and mother. "She's a year and a couple of months old." She is learning to use her voice While speaking with one of the winners of the 2022 WellChild Awards, Harry gave an update on how his children were doing. "Archie is very, very busy. And Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great,” he told Henry Waines, who received the Inspirational Child Award for ages 4 to 6. Even 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. “I 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," Meghan said. "And when I look at a lot of the women that I'm 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." She got to meet her namesake, Queen Elizabeth, before the monarch’s death in 2022 Netflix/Youtube Shortly after Lili’s birth, the newborn had a very important family engagement to attend — meeting her namesake and great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. The prompt introduction, which happened via a video call, highlights the bond Harry shared with his grandmother, which grew stronger after his mother’s tragic death in 1997. "My grandmother and I were very close, and we very much did have a special relationship," he told PEOPLE in an exclusive cover story in 2023. It is believed Queen Elizabeth got to meet her great-granddaughter in person when the Sussexes traveled to the U.K. for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The Duke of Sussex recalled fond memories he has of his late grandmother spending time with his children in his memoir, Spare. "I couldn't stop picturing them with Granny,” he wrote. “The final visit. Archie making deep, chivalrous bows, his baby sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch's shins. Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused. She'd expected them to be a bit more ... American, I think? Meaning, in her mind, more rambunctious."

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