Final “Megxit”, court cases and an explosive interview: Harry and Meghan have had turbulent months behind them. Now the two are happy about their daughter.
Santa Barbara (AP) – The newly born daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan has a name that could hardly be more symbolic.
“It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet” Lili “Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world,” said the couple on the website of their own “Archewell” foundation – and left no doubt as to who this honor is due: “Lili was named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, whose nickname in the family is Lilibet.” Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to refer to her beloved grandmother, the to commemorate the late Princess Diana.
Mother and child are doing well
The girl was born on Friday in the hospital in Santa Barbara in California with just under 3500 grams, as a spokeswoman for the dpa confirmed. Both the mother and the child are fine – they are already settling in together at home.
For Harry (36) and Meghan (39), the birth of their daughter is the joyous climax of a turbulent time. “It is more than we ever imagined, and we are grateful for the love and prayers that we have felt from all over the world,” both wrote in their personal statement. The couple had already confirmed their final withdrawal from the royal family in February – but the relationship with the Royal Family and the British media have remained an issue that not only the couple themselves, but also courts in London and the media around the world still employed.
In an explosive interview with US presenter Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan accused the royal family of racism and lack of support, sending shock waves across the Atlantic. Buckingham Palace reacted coolly, the relationship reached its lowest point so far.
Rapprochement with the royal family?
Some saw Harry’s visit to Prince Philip’s funeral in April, where he met his family for the first time since the Megxit last year, as a cautious rapprochement. But then the renegade prince continued to share: In a podcast, he accused his father, Prince Charles, of having transmitted his own suffering to his children. He described his move to California with Meghan as a breakout of a cycle of “pain and suffering”.
So can a baby who is not yet aware of all the entanglements in his family bring about the great reconciliation? The choice of name at least sends a clear signal: Look here, we’re gone – but still a loving part of the family. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry had by far spoken most lovingly about his grandmother – for example, the Queen had made several video calls with her great-grandson Archie (2), his first child.
When little “Lili” will meet her namesake for the first time and whether the family will move closer together again is in the stars – for the time being, the pandemic will also pose major travel obstacles Prince Harry’s brother William and his wife Kate were initially “delighted”, as a palace spokesman announced. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was even faster: “Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter,” wrote Boris Johnson on Twitter shortly after they became known.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210606-99-885238 / 5
Message on the “Archewell” website
