Why Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Probably Won’t Name Their Daughter Diana

Almost immediately after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they’re expecting a baby girl during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, thoughts and theories about what they might name her quickly followed. But those placing bets on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry naming their daughter Diana might want to reconsider.

A source who claims to be close to the couple told Page Six that it’s “highly unlikely” Meghan and Harry will name their daughter after the prince’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in 1997 and was frequently a media target, so much so that she was being followed by members of the tabloid on the night she died in Paris. “They are highly unlikely to call their daughter Diana,” the source told Page Six. “Their biggest concern is that it would make her a bigger target for the media, and considerably increase public interest in the child’s life.”

Harry has often spoken about his mother’s plight, and on Sunday he spoke to Winfrey about his fear of seeing his wife go through the same struggles. “My biggest concern was history repeating itself — I've said that before on numerous occasions, very publicly. And what I was seeing was history repeating itself, but perhaps, or definitely, far more dangerous, because then you add race in, and you add social media in,” he said. “And when I talk about history repeating itself, I'm talking about my mother.”

The source who spoke to Page Six also said that naming their daughter after the beloved royal, who still garners media attention today, “would place too much pressure on the child and make everything difficult, from enrolling her in school to travel.” According to the source, Meghan and Harry “want [their daughter] to find her own way in life.”

Even so, royal fans have been placing bets on the the name of Harry and Meghan’s baby, with People reporting that Diana was the clear favorite. Other names included in the betting for a little girl were Alice and Kamala, presumably in honor of Vice President Kamala Harris, but none so popular as Diana.

While there is always the possibility that the couple might surprise everyone and name their daughter Diana, it does seem fairly unlikely. Princess Diana’s only other granddaughter, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 5-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte, has Diana as one of her middle names along with her great-grandmother’s name Elizabeth. Something Harry and Meghan might choose to do for their daughter as well. Much like his older brother, it would be a way to honor his mother’s memory without “constant comparisons with Diana,” as Princess Diana’s friend Richard Kay explained to Vanity Fair when Princess Charlotte was born in 2015.

Meghan and Harry also told Winfrey their little girl is due to arrive this summer, officially making their 22-month-old son Archie a big brother. But whatever name they give their little girl, Harry is surely doing his mother proud.