Prince Harry spotted amid fresh allegations about late Queen’s ‘anger’ over his name decision

The Duke of Sussex has been spotted out in Santa Barbara, just days after senior palace sources claimed he and Meghan “angered” the late Queen.

Prince Harry has been spotted for the first time since fresh allegations surfaced about the late Queen’s fury at the use of her childhood nickname for his and Meghan Markle’s daughter.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, was rugged up in a beanie and puffer jacket and clutched his iPhone as he jogged along the street in Santa Barbara following a workout on Tuesday morning.

Harry was spotted following a workout. Picture: Backgrid Australia

He has not publicly responded to the new allegations. Picture: Backgrid Australia

It comes just days after excerpts of a new King Charles biography were released, which quoted a senior palace source describing the Queen “as angry as I’d ever seen her” when Harry and his wife publicly declared she’d given permission for them to use “Lilibet”.

The affectionate moniker had stuck during the Queen’s childhood after she’d struggled to pronounce her own name, “Elizabeth.” It was used only by her late parents, her sister Princess Margaret, husband Prince Philip, and closest inner circle.

Lilibet Diana was born in June 2021. Picture: Archewell/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Misan Harriman

She made a rare public appearance at a Fourth of July parade with her mum last year. Picture: Instagram

Shortly after Lilibet’s birth in June 2021, rumours began circulating the Queen had not given prior permission for her name to be used, but a law firm representing Harry and Meghan quickly fired off a statement to news organisations, including the BBC, suggesting the claim was false and defamatory.

“The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the message read.

“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

The late Queen with Meghan and Harry in 2918. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In his latest book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, Hardman shed new light on the Queen’s private reaction to the drama, claiming that the Sussexes’ media rebuttal appeared to fall flat after their attempt to collaborate on a response with the palace was “rebuffed”.

“When the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed,” one palace insider is quoted.

“Once again, it was a case of ‘recollections may vary’ – the late Queen’s reaction to the Oprah Winfrey interview – as far as Her Majesty was concerned. Those noisy threats of legal action duly evaporated and the libel actions against the BBC never materialised.”

The Daily Mail also claimed that the distressed Queen even told aides: “I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they’ve taken that.”

Elsewhere in his book, Hardman wrote that the rift between the Duke of Sussex and the rest of his family is not likely to be healed any time soon.

“Of course, the King is extremely sad about Harry and Meghan but there is a sense of exasperation, that he has done what he can and now he is King, there are many more things to think about,” Hardman said.

He added that Charles and Prince William have so far refused to even read Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, released last January, and have instead simply been briefed by aides on its main points.