‘Healthy and well’: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce the birth of second child

On Sunday morning, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. She was born on Friday at 11:40 a.m. in Santa Barbara, California. They will call her Lili, named after her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

She is named after two key women in the royal family, the Queen and Prince Harry’s mother, Diana Princess of Wales, who would have been 60 this year.

“She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home,” the couple’s spokesperson said in a statement. “Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “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.”

We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili.

Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 6, 2021

The new baby is now eighth in line for the British throne, behind her brother Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, her father, her grandfather Prince Charles, her uncle Prince William, and her cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

“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,” said the couple in a statement. “Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

The news of Meghan’s second pregnancy was announced on Valentine’s Day this year.

Markle had revealed in a deeply personal article for the New York Times that she had miscarried last July, writing: “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears.

“Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”

She was widely praised for sending a powerful message to others who have lived through the same trauma.