The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have become parents again, following the birth of their second child, a daughter, who was born on Friday 4 June at 11:40, weighing 7lbs 11oz, in the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. The couple announced that they have named their daughter Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in a nod to both Her Majesty the Queen (whose family nickname is Lilibet) and Prince Harry's late mother. She is the younger sister to the couple's eldest child, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned two in May. They recently celebrated their third wedding anniversary, after getting married on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
Following the official statement, the Duke and Duchess released a personal message of thanks to their Archewell website. It said: ‘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 couple revealed the news of their second pregnancy on Valentine's Day, with a sweet black and white Instagram picture. The timing was considered to be poignant, reflecting the date that Princess Diana's pregnancy with Prince Harry was revealed, some 37 year prior. The couple revealed the baby's gender exclusively to Oprah Winfrey the next month, during their tell-all interview with the US chat show host.
The baby girl has already made history by being the second member of the Royal Family to be born outside of the UK. The first was Maud Windsor, the seven-year-old daughter of Lord Frederick and Sophie Winkleman, was born in Los Angeles. She will likely be a dual British and American citizen, just like her elder brother.
She is eighth in line to the throne, behind Archie, her father Prince Harry, her cousins, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, her uncle Prince William and grandfather Prince Charles. Her birth pushes Prince Andrew down the line of succession, to ninth.
Around 90 minutes after the announcement of the birth, at 6.30pm on Sunday 6 June, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman welcomed the happy news. ‘The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,’ she said.
Like her brother, Lili will be raised in California, far from the confines of palace life. Her godparents are not expected to be revealed and a christening is likely to take place behind closed doors.
The birth is the third this year for the Royal family and will come as welcome news following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death in April.
The happy news comes over six months after the Duchess revealed in an essay for the New York Times that she had suffered a miscarriage in July, writing of 'an almost unbearable grief experienced by many but talked about by few'.
Due to the Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917, the baby girl will not be styled as a Princess, being the child of the second son of the Prince of Wales. Only the Monarch's children, their children, and the Prince of Wales' eldest grandchild (Prince George) are automatically styled as Prince or Princess. The Queen issued a new Letters Patent in 2012, in order to make all of Prince William's children Princes or Princesses, which is why Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have the title.
This does not extend to the children of Prince Harry, an issue that the Duchess of Sussex discussed during the couple's bombshell interview with Oprah. For this reason, the new baby girl will not be a Princess.
Subscribe now for a trial offer of 3 issues for £1 plus free digital editions and home delivery.
More from Tatler
