PRINCE Harry has been seen for the first time since a row blew up with the Palace over using the Queen’s nickname Lilibet for his newborn daughter.
The Duke of Sussex has today appeared in a promotional video for the Invictus Games in Germany, days after he and Meghan welcomed their second baby, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Speaking to the camera in a timber-beamed room, while standing in front of a plant, Harry simply says: “It’s time to spread the news, something big is coming in Germany.”
The sporting event, founded by Harry in 2014, gives sick and injured military personnel and veterans the opportunity to compete in sports such as wheelchair basketball and to find inspiration to recover.
The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 will bring together over 500 competitors from 20 nations to compete in a series of adaptive sports.
The video was released on Wednesday, June 9 amid a huge row between the Duke of Sussex and the BBC.
The fuming royal today threatened legal action against the national broadcaster over claims he didn’t ask the Queen to name his baby daughter Lilibet.
The squabble was started when a Palace source told the BBC the Sussexes allegedly “never asked” Her Majesty about using her childhood nickname.
Harry then hit back just 90 minutes later saying his grandma was “supportive” of his choice of name and the couple wouldn’t have used it if this wasn’t the case.
The battle has now intensified after Harry and Meghan threatened the BBC with legal action through law firm Schillings.
The threat came just hours after he attempted to clear the drama up in a statement issued through spokesperson Omid Scobie.
WAR OF WORDS
It read: “The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called.
“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.”
Pals of the couple have also been quick to weigh in – with one quoting friends who confirmed Harry spoke to “close family” ahead of the announcement.
Sources had previously suggested Palace officials were left out of the loop – and only found out at 5pm along with the rest of the world.
It wasn’t until 6.34pm – over an hour-and-a-half after Meghan and Harry’s announcement – that the Royal family released a well-wishing statement about the good news.
The row between Harry and the BBC comes just weeks after he slammed the broadcaster over its Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
A damning report by Lord Dyson found Martin Bashir lied to trick Diana into taking part in the bombshell 1995 chat after her split from Prince Charles.
Harry claimed the “culture of exploitation” took his mother’s life and said the probe is the “first step towards justice and truth.”
In a statement, the royal added: “Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.
“The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.
“To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it.
“That is the first step towards justice and truth.
“Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these – and even worse- are still widespread today.
“Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.”
Others have criticised the use of the Queen’s nickname, including model Caprice, and royal biographer Angela Levin.
Angela told Good Morning Britain: “I don’t think it’s a good idea – I think it’s quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen.
“It was a very private nickname from her husband who hasn’t been dead for very long.
“Prince Charles would never dream of calling his mother Lilibet.”
She added: “It was a special name, I think it’s quite demeaning, I really believe that.”
Caprice told the Sun Online: “I was shocked to hear Meghan and Harry had named their daughter Lilibet Diana.
“The Queen is so intensely private – this was a very intimate name Prince Philip used to call her, but with total discretion, he never called her that publicly.”
