The queen could threaten to strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their Sussex titles in a desperate bid to stop them "money-spinning" their daughter's name?
THE QUEEN could threaten to strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their Sussex titles in a desperate bid to stop them "money-spinning" their daughter's name, a royal expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex admitted they registered a number of website domain names for their newborn daughter Lilibet Diana before her birth on June 4. A spokesperson for the couple said yesterday they wanted to "protect against the exploitation of the name". The domains purchased included LilbetDiana.com and LiliDiana.com, according to The Telegraph.
The domains are not yet active, but royal commentator Daniela Elser has warned the couple that they may anger the Queen if they cash in on the name.
She wrote in Australia's Daily Telegraph: "All of this might be a storm in a cup of vegan latte and those domain names may very well sit dormant for the rest of time.
"But, if they don’t, if they are used for any sort of lucrative endeavour, the Queen could be forced to act to even more assertively cleave the Sussexes from the monarchy to try and protect the crown.
"Having lost their ability to use their styling as His/Her Royal Highness, having lost their official royal patronages and Harry having lost his honorary military roles, the final remaining official tether is their Sussex title, which was gifted to them for their wedding.
"Could there come a day when Buckingham Palace plays this – their final trump card – and consider using the threat of forcing their Sussex titles into abeyance to bend the renegade duo to their will? (Whether such a strongarm tactic would work is another question entirely).
"Would the palace be quite so lenient and so willing to turn a blind eye if there ever came a day that Lili’s name was used in conjunction with any sort of money-spinning outing?
"We may well find out sooner rather than later."
It comes after Harry and Meghan's spokesperson said: "As is often customary with public figures, a significant number of domains of any potential names that were considered were purchased by their team to protect against the exploitation of the name once it was later chosen and publicly shared."
After announcing the birth of their daughter earlier this month, the couple explained her name was a tribute to Harry's grandmother, the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.
However, there was soon controversy as Harry and Meghan were quickly forced to deny reports that they had not asked the Queen's permission for the poignant name.
A spokesperson for the couple said that during a conversation with the Queen, Harry "shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour".
They added: "Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."
Shortly after Lilibet's birth was announced, the Queen's official Twitter account shared an image from Harry and Meghan's wedding day to celebrate the arrival.
It also mentioned that the baby was the Queen's 11th great-grandchild.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman also said: "The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news."
Earlier this year, the Queen severed royal ties with Harry and Meghan as they continued their quest to be come financially independent.
She confirmed the couple would not "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service".
A statement from the palace then added Harry and Meghan "remain much-loved members of the family".
The Duke and Duchess replied "service is universal" and also offered to continue supporting the organisations they represented.
They also gave up their HRH titles, although Harry retained the title of prince.
However, royal biographer Ingrid Seward said it is “unlikely” the Queen would remove the couple’s titles even if they cash in on the royal name.
She told the Independent: “I feel it would not be something the Queen would want to undertake at this stage of her reign."
