In 2021, Prince Harryand Meghan Markle welcomed their second child, Princess Lilibet, into the world, but their announcement wasn't without controversy. Shortly after the Sussexes' revealed their name choice, a British outlet reported Queen Elizabeth didn't formally approve of the couple using her childhood nickname for the youngster.
"This is definitely going to stoke up tensions," Afua Hagan told an outlet when asked about Robert Hardman discussing the controversy in his book The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.
The Sussexes previously claimed Her Majesty gave the couple her blessing to call their daughter by the sobriquet, but palace insiders' comments didn't align with the narrative.
"We've had the discussion about Lilibet's name when she was born and to rake over those coals is a bit mean and it's definitely, definitely going to stoke up those tensions," she said.
Critics often question the Sussexes' integrity and if they're lying about the initial statement.
"It just reignites all the people who say Harry and Meghan were wrong about everything, that everything they say is untrue," the commentator continued. "It's just going to stoke up all those tensions, it's going to fuel that fire, most definitely."
"It's a bit mean really because she's only little and it's the baby's name. At the time, and I feel it now, it's quite sweet to name someone after their grandmother," she noted.
The broadcaster doesn't believe the couple wanted to hurt the late monarch's feelings, and they hoped their decision would honor her.
"I'm 100 percent sure Harry and Meghan didn't want to cause offense with it, they probably thought it was a sweet gesture," she explained. "Whether or not the queen actually felt that way, we don't know because she's not here with us anymore and so will never go on record saying one thing or the other."
"This all about stoking those tensions, reigniting those discussions, fueling those fires and putting more divisions between Prince Harry and the rest of his family unfortunately," Hagan added.
OK! previously reported journalist Cameron Walker discussed the revelation on GB News.
"I think this is another example of recollections may vary," Walker said. "So all of these claims have come from a new book being published later this week by Robert Hardman. Now he is really, really plugged into the royal household."
Hardman has spent years working closely with the royal family and documenting their lives, and Walker mentioned Hardman's credentials in his analysis.
"He has spoken to members of the royal family and their staff, past and present, and also produced this BBC documentary which was aired on Boxing Day behind the scenes of the coronation," Walker shared. "So that gives you a bit of an example of the level of access he's got here and and he's reporting what happens when Harry and Meghan chose the name Lilibet for their youngest daughter."
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Shortly after the BBC quoted a palace staffer saying the Sussexes' "never asked" Elizabeth for approval, they threatened to take legal action against the outlet.
"Of course, as you said, the late Queen's nickname for her close family and friends," the anchor recalled. "Now, after they announced that that was her name, the BBC reported a palace source saying that the Queen was not asked by the Sussexes to use that name."
"Followed by that, Harry and Meghan's lawyers wrote a very, quite aggressive, threatening legal letter to all U.K. broadcasters and newspapers saying that that claim is false and defamatory," he concluded.
Hagan spoke to Newsweek.
