Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say the BBC's report that they didn't seek the Queen's permission for their daughter's name is false

• The BBC reported Prince Harry did not get Queen Elizabeth's blessing to name his daughter Lilibet.
• A spokesperson for the couple told Insider that Queen Elizabeth was the first family member Harry called after Lilibet's birth.
• During the call, Harry and Meghan Markle got her support for the name, according to the spokesperson.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are denying claims that they did not seek Queen Elizabeth's blessing to name their daughter Lilibet.

The couple named their daughter, who was born on June 4, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, in honor of both her great-grandmother and grandmother.

Lilibet is the Queen's familial nickname. It was coined by her grandfather King George VI when she was a child, and Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 on April 9, was also believed to have used Lilibet as a term of endearment.

On Wednesday, the BBC reported that a "palace source" said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not get the Queen's blessing to name their daughter in the monarch's honor.

However, a spokesperson for Harry and Markle told Insider that the duke and duchess did seek the Queen's approval for the name.

"The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact, his grandmother was the first family member he called," a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Insider.

"During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor," the spokesperson went on to say. "Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accused the BBC of libel for its report and have hired lawyers as a result of the article, according to The Times.

Friends of Prince Harry told Vanity Fair that he wanted to name his daughter after the Queen because he "loves and respects his grandmother."

Others have speculated Lilibet's nickname "Lili" nods to Markle's mother, who refers to her daughter as "flower."

Harry and Markle's name choice has gotten mixed reviews from the public.

While some see the name as a tribute to the Queen, critics of the couple claim the name choice is "ironic" given Harry and Markle's comments about the monarchy in recent months. Others think the name is "rude" to the Queen because Lilibet is her private nickname.

However, the nickname is well-documented in modern times, with it being frequently used on Netflix's "The Crown."

In addition, royal protocol forbids people from referring to the Queen by the name Elizabeth, yet people anticipated Princess Charlotte, whose full name is Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, would be named Elizabeth before her birth.

The critique of Lilibet's name and praise of Charlotte's highlights the double standard Prince Harry and Meghan Markle face as members of the royal family.