Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have finally welcomed their daughter, who’ve they named utilizing the Queen’s private nickname used only by Prince Philip, her parents and sister. Her full name is Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana.

In an official press release, utilizing their royal stationary with a crown still attached, the couple said, “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA.”

“She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, settling in at home.

“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.

“This is the second child for the couple, who have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as family.”

As a press announcement, it’s rather odd. 

They’ve included a lot of rather obvious and extraneous information. The public, in general, knows that they have two children so to add the information about Archie seemed odd, especially as they didn’t explain how happy he is about being a big brother. That would make more sense.

They also hammer home the royal connection, calling themselves the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and by making mention of “Diana” as the Princess of Wales. Again, as if the public is stupid or ill-informed about who Harry’s mother is.

He’s talked about her and the impact of her loss so much, you would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the connection.

In addition, the use of the Queen’s private nickname, one only used by her husband of 73 years, her parents and her sister deserves and article of its own, which will be posted later tonight.

They also talk about the public’s prayers, as if they are usually the focus and subject of people’s heavenly conversations. Praying is a crucial reflection of the Christian faith, and if they’re doing it that’s great, but there is no indication that the couple is that religious. It seems rather presumptuous that the couple believes they are the recipients of daily prayers from the public.

But the royal family’s reaction to the news, has been rather muted and a tad cold, reflecting that co-opting the Queen’s private nickname isn’t enough to engage the family.

The Clarence House Instagram, which shares news from Harry’s father Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, said, “Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana. Wishing them all well at this time.”

For a new grandfather, that’s a smidge cold.

The page also preceded with previously scheduled posts about the anniversary of D-Day, which is also June 6.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge didn’t even reference to the name ‘Lilibet,’ stating, “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.”

The couple are likely anticipating that they will sadly never spend any time with their new niece, who, for the record, essentially has the same name as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, without the Charlotte.

Finally, the official The Royal Family Instagram profile issued perhaps the most upbeat statement, posting, “Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news.

“Lilibet is Her Majesty’s 11^th great-grandchild.”

The rather subdue statements, though polite and appropriate, show the growing distance between the Hollywood duo and the royal family, with reports indicating that the family was unaware of when the news would drop.

Likely, the royal family would have preferred that the couple would avoid announcing the news on the same day as the D-Day commemorations. But like everything, Meghan needs to overshadow something to make herself more important. 

For a man who says he loves and supports the military, it seems a bit hypocritical for Prince Harry to agree with overshadowing D-Day. But he did stage a photoshoot in a U.S. military cemetery.

Though a new child in the world is always fantastic, Lilibet is not enough to save the drowning Sussex brand. It’ll be interesting to see how the two leverage their daughter to get more press attention. Will they go with People Magazine or another Oprah tell all.

Picture from The Daily Mail.