Outspoken journalist Piers Morgan says its “quite ironic” that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have decided to use the Queen's nickname for their newborn daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Gently referred to as "Lili" by her parents, the newest edition to the Sussex clan was born on 4 June at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, where the couple relocated after ditching their senior royal duties last year. Their daughter's first name is a nod to her high-profile granny, Queen Elizabeth II, who was endearingly called “Lilibet” by her late husband Prince Philip because as a child Her Majesty used to pronounce "Elizabeth" as "Lilibet."
But according to Piers, who left his job at Good Morning Britain (GMB) in March after slamming “Princess Pinocchio” Meghan Markle over her “lies” in the controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, the reference may be an attempt by the couple to mend bridges with the royal family following their "truth-bombing" spree.
“It's quite ironic, isn't it? You have this couple who have been trashing the royal family and the monarchy for the last few weeks and they have named the baby after the Queen,” the smiling journalist told host Karl Stefanovic of Australia's Today programme on Channel 9.
“Maybe it's their way of reaching out, as the Americans say, to the royals and wanting some kind of end to this on-running feud,” Piers suggested.
Meghan’s ‘Lies’ and Harry’s Time to ‘Man Up’
Just shortly before, the British broadcaster sat down with Stefanovic on the 60 Minutes show to criticise Markle's “downright lies" – the Sussexes' Oprah interview ultimately cost Morgan his job on GMB after he refused to backtrack for trashing the duchess' claim that she was left feeling suicidal following her treatment from the Palace when pregnant with her son Archie. The 56-year-old reporter says Markle complained to ITV bosses about his remarks, after which he was told to apologise or “vacate his chair."
“There were downright lies coming out of the interview and I saw my job to hold these two people to the same account I would hold a government minister. For doing that, within 36 hours I had to leave the job,” Morgan fumed.
Morgan has also slammed "spoiled brat” Prince Harry for “publicly trashing” his family – especially his dad Prince Charles – over the past few weeks during both a podcast and his co-produced mental health series "The Me You Can’t See." In the documentary, Harry complained that his dad failed to protect him from the media following his mother Diana’s death.
“Is there no end to Prince Privacy's victimhood tour? Constantly abusing his family, knowing they can't respond, is so pathetic & cowardly. Man up, Harry - and shut up,” Piers wrote in May in response to Harry speaking out about his past royal duties.
But now the host seems to have offered an olive branch to the couple following the birth of Lilibet, whose arrival has left Buckingham Palace “delighted” – while also reportedly catching the UK royals by surprise.
“I always think when a new baby is born – I've had four myself – it's churlish to put any negative slant,” Piers told Stefanovic on Monday morning. “At such a moment. I wish them all the very best. There is four in the family now. I wish them every success and a long and happy life.”