Meghan’s Ex-Friend Just Accused Her of Taking Lilibet’s Name From Her—Not the Queen

Baby drama. Lizzie Cundy, Meghan Markle’s former friend, claims that Lilibet‘s name was inspired by her and not Queen Elizabeth II.

In an interview with OK! magazine, Cundy, who claimed to be close friends with Meghan before she started dating Prince Harry, accused the Duchess of Sussex of using her childhood nickname as the name for her and Prince Harry’s first daughter. “I was called Lilibet. It’s short for Elizabeth. It was my nickname at school!” Cundy, whose full name Elizabeth, told OK!. “Thank you Meghan. You ghosted me—and now you’re calling your child after me.”

In the interview, Cundy claimed that she and Meghan became friends after she interviewed the Suits alum at an event in London in 2013. She also alleged that Meghan “ghosted” her in 2017 after the former actress met Prince Harry. “I was quite shocked by it because it’s an unusual name. Maybe that’s her way of reaching out. But I wish them well and I think it’s wonderful,” Cundy said.

Harry and Meghan, who married in May 2018, confirmed in a statement on June 6 that they had welcomed their second child, a baby daughter named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. In the statement, the couple, who also share 2-year-old son Archie Harrison, confirmed that their daughter’s name was inspired by both Harry’s grandmother, the Queen (whose family nickname is “Lilibet”), and his late mother, Princess Diana.

“Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home. Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet,” the statement read. “Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales. This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.”

After Harry and Meghan’s announcement, there were reports that the couple didn’t ask the Queen for her permission before naming their daughter Lilibet. “BREAKING Palace source tells BBC that the Queen was not asked by Meghan and Harry over the use of her childhood nickname; reports suggested Harry had sought permission from Queen to call newborn ‘Lilibet’; but Palace source says the Queen was ‘never asked’” BBC reporter Jonny Dymond tweeted in June.

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex denied this claim in a statement to the BBC at the time. “The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the spokesperson said. “During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

A source also told In Touch at the time that the Queen was one of the first people Harry and Meghan told about Lilibet’s birth. “The queen was one of the first people Harry and Meghan told about the birth and they’ve sent her photos,” the insider said. “She has put the drama from the interviews aside and is overjoyed to be a great-grandmother again.”

Buy: 'Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family' $11.15

Finding Freedom

Image: Courtesy of Dey Street Books.

For more about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s time in the British royal family, read Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s New York Times bestseller, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. The book tells all on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship, from how they met to their wedding to the birth of their son, Archie. Finding Freedom also dives into the “true story” of why Harry and Meghan left the royals at the end of 2019 and moved to the United States amid their secret drama with their family. Consisting of interviews and accounts with Harry and Meghan’s closest confidants, Finding Freedom is a must-read for any royal follower.

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