Lilibet Diana: a name generates controversy
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced the birth of his daughter Lilibet Diana. And it was immediately clear that the little girl's life is marked by the symbolisms of royalty.
Is a new chapter opened in the history of relations between Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markl, and the British crown? The couple announced the birth of their second child on Sunday: Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor came to the world on June 4 in Santa Barbara, California, the couple reported on the website of her foundation "Archewell."
Meghan had announced her pregnancy on the sidelines of a notorious interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the couple had criticized parts of British royalty for racism. However, the Royal House said through a spokesperson to be happy with the birth of the girl. Also the British premier, Boris Johnson, immediately sent his congratulations.
Controversy over the name
"Lili" is barely a few days old, and she is already at the center of a political controversy. Rather, her name is. According to Harry and Meghan's press statement, the little girl will be called Lilibet in honor of her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. That is the affectionate nickname given to the monarch in the family since her childhood. They say that not only her grandfather, King George V, called her that, but also her recently deceased husband, Prince Philip.
The middle name of "Lili", Diana, is a tribute to Harry's late mother, "Lady Di", Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales.
For some British magazines and for many users of the social networks - angry admirers of the monarchy and categorical detractors of Meghan Markle for the accusations of racism against the royalty - especially the first name of her constitutes an affront.
Angela Levin, Harry's biographer, said on the TV show "Good Morning Britain" that he was "contemptuous" of the newly widowed queen. Others see the name not as an offense, but as an offer of reconciliation from the Queen. rebellious couple from the House of Windsor.
The royalty system of symbols
Regardless of the specific interpretation, it is clear that the girl's name is more than just a name. Nobody wonders about its etymological origin, but the decision to put it "Lilibet Diana" is understood as a political-dynastic act, as a gesture towards the royal family and also towards the sectors of the population that support it. root of those considerations?
For now, we must take into account the line of succession. Lilibet Diana ranks eighth, and theoretically she could one day come to the throne. For now, like her brother Archie hers, she won't be wearing any titles. But if Queen Elizabeth dies and her son Carlos is crowned, Lili, her granddaughter, will officially become a princess.
Congratulations on the birth of Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor being born on Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/tzgAPMKXlD
— The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@PHarry_Meghan) June 6, 2021
But even more important than the line of succession is the symbol system that governs the royal family. Its members, according to their position in court, must adhere to a strict conduct etiquette, and are constantly observed by an army of fans of the monarchy and reporters from around the world. Everything there has a meaning: every outfit, every family photo and every step taken publicly is seen as a sign, endowed with meaning and inserted in the myth of royalty.
Who can represent the Royal Household?
In monarchies, that myth is key. The insignia of power and the display of that power have been important at the latest since the Middle Ages, to stage the supratemporal and supraindividual condition of the monarch by divine grace, above his mortal person. According to a famous thesis of the historian Ernst Kantorowicz, the king had in a certain way two bodies; one natural and one political.
If you look closely at the magazines that deal with monarchies, that way of approaching royalty is maintained, although the British crown no longer wields relevant political power. The fact that, precisely. She is given by name the daughter of the rebels the nickname of queen, she assigns her before the eyes of the royalists of volume and spine a position that does not correspond to her in the most intimate circle of the family.
The controversy surrounding the name, which erupted outside the Royal Household, is consequently a matter of power: who can appear on the scene as part of the royal family (and therefore in positions of political power) and who cannot? ?
