For those who might not quite follow the drift, I am referring to the naming of the second Sussex child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, or since the King ascended the throne, Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
As with most things surrounding the Sussexes, controversy is never very far away. This indeed holds true in the naming of their second child.
By way of historical context though, it might be useful to remember that the name Lilibet is the pet name given to our late Queen by her grandfather George the Fifth. As a child, the future Queen Elizabeth got tongue-tied in pronouncing her name, hence the use of it by her grandfather. This subsequently extended to a few members of her immediate family, notably Prince Philip.
At the time of the little mite’s birth, it was speculated that Her Majesty was “not amused” by the Sussex choice of name. This is not only a highly sensitive issue once more, but this time possibly exposes fully understandable sentiments expressed by the late Queen herself.
Any normal person with an ounce of common sense would have been greatly surprised if the Queen had not been enraged, albeit very privately.
One should look and honestly assess the apparent unsavoury history surrounding Chez Sussex, possessed of a seeming capacity for vengeful acts of spite, although ostensibly portrayed as victims.
We are faced with something of a conundrum though in being privy to demonstrably irrefutable proof of such wilful acts on the part of the Sussexes. On balance, common sense with a reasonable take based on a balance of probabilities of “form” doesn’t really clear the bar either, does it?
All that being said, with the emergence of more specific details from nominally impeccable sources who DID have direct interaction with the late Queen give us a unique insight. It does tend to suggest that a generally perceived toxicity originating at Casa Sussex in fact holds a considerable element of truth to it.
Opinion, of course, will be sharply divided between pro and anti-Sussex supporters. But why does any of this matter? Well, it does matter. Our royal family have provided us with a bedrock of surety, a consistent rallying point for us as a nation for centuries. This is true regardless of whether dynasties come and go, or if “recollections may vary” as the late Queen famously remarked.
But when all is said and done the royal family thankfully survives and remains unquestionably relevant, for without it who are we?
What’s in a name? Quite apart from this being one of a few things as highlighted in this case that are unique to Elizabeth the Second, this episode comes across as a cheap Sussex publicity stunt fully intended to be provocative.
This shemozzle will rumble on sadly, but one might ask at what eventual cost to Brand Sussex. The legacy of our late Queen will endure, and our royal family will always be a significant part of our national life, since the alternative is simply not an option.
