Queen Thought Prince Harry Was Going To Name His Daughter Elizabeth, Socialite Claims

Queen Elizabeth gave Prince Harry and Meghan Markle permission to name their daughter after her but was under the impression that her great-granddaughter would be given her Christian name, not her childhood nickname, a friend and interior designer to the royals has claimed.

Socialite Nicky Haslam, whose royal friends include Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Michael of Kent and Sarah, Duchess of York, made the claim in a recent episode of "The Third Act" podcast.

"I heard [Harry] rang her and said: 'We want to call our daughter after you, Granny.' She said: 'How charming of you, thank you,' thinking that it would be Elizabeth. So they got the permission, but they didn't say the name," Haslam was quoted as saying by Tatler.

International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

Haslam went on to question why Prince Harry and Markle didn't name their daughter Lilibet Diana, now 1, after the duchess' mother Doria Ragland instead.

"Why on earth didn't they call that baby Doria?" he asked, adding: "It's the prettiest name ever."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are also parents to 3-year-old son Archie, welcomed Lilibet on June 4 last year.

After the couple revealed their daughter's name, BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond claimed in a report, citing an unnamed Buckingham Palace source, that Prince Harry and Markle did not consult with Queen Elizabeth for permission to use her private family nickname for their daughter.

The moniker has important sentimental connotations for the British monarch because it was used in private for her by her late father King George VI and her late husband Prince Philip.

In response to the claims, Prince Harry and Markle launched a legal battle against the BBC last year, saying the story was "false and defamatory."

At the time, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex denied the source's claim.

"The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement. In fact, his grandmother was the first family member he called," their rep said in a statement obtained by People. "During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."

In addition to paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry and Markle, who gave their daughter the nickname Lili, also honored his late mother Princess Diana with their daughter's middle name.

The name Lili, meanwhile, is a nod to Ragland, who gave the duchess the childhood nickname "Flower," according to People.