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I am sure you have heard the news by now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed their second child, a baby girl, into the world.

They’ve named their daughter Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, which is steeped in meaning and family tradition, despite them having stepped back as senior working royals last year and relocating to the US.

Some say the chosen name acts as an olive branch offered to the royal family, particularly Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Little Lili was born on Friday in California but her parents have yet to release a photo, which is yet another way that the couple is breaking from tradition, according to HuffPost:

In the past, some royals (including Princess Diana and Kate Middleton) have announced the birth of their babies and then posed for photos with their newborns as they leave the hospital. Names are generally released a few days after the birth.

But the name they chose for their daughter probably makes up for it a little since it honours and pays tribute to two significant women in Harry’s life: his grandmother, the Queen, and his mother, the Princess of Wales.

CNN has more about the meaning behind the child’s first name; Lilibet ‘Lili’:

The unusual moniker is a sweet tribute to the reigning monarch, as it’s actually Queen Elizabeth’s nickname within the family.

It stems from her childhood when the then-princess was unable to properly pronounce her own name. Her grandfather, King George V, would affectionately imitate her attempts and the name stuck.

The Sussexes’ daughter — who is the monarch’s 11th great-grandchild and eighth in line to the throne — will, however, be known as Lili.

It’s a playful way of modernising the family name but is also a variation of the name of a flower. Of Greek origin, the name Lily is often used as a nickname for those named Lilian or Elizabeth.

Baby Lili’s second name, Diana, was chosen specially to “honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the couple revealed in the birth announcement.

Since Harry has been very open recently about the impact of his mother’s death on his mental health, the name is probably quite a comfort to him.

The surname Mountbatten-Windsor is a family name that combines the Queen’s surname, ‘Windsor’, and Prince Philip’s family name:

He adopted the Mountbatten surname — an English translation of his mother’s maiden name — when he became a naturalised British citizen in 1947.

Many are speculating whether the choice of name was a gesture from the couple amid the recent family turmoil.

A royal editor at The Sunday Times, Roya Nikkah, spoke about the choice of using the Queen’s childhood nickname, saying that it was “a step further” than just using her actual name:

“Lilibet is sort of a step further — it’s that very intimate name that the Queen has used since she was very little.

And I think for me, I thought as many of us did, this is perhaps a diplomatic olive branch offered to the royal family after what’s been a very difficult, fractious year between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the family.”

I am sure many royal followers out there are wondering if baby Lili’s name suits her face, but there’s going to be some more waiting to find out if that’s the case.

[sources:cnn&huffpost]