Prince Harry, Meghan welcome baby girl; Name honors Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed a healthy baby girl Friday!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex named their daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Her middle name, Diana, honors Harry's late mother, and Lilibet is the nickname of the royal family matriarch Queen Elizabeth II.

Baby Lili was born Friday at 11:40 a.m. at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, weighing 7 lbs 11 oz. The baby is the eighth in line to the British throne.

"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family," Harry and Meghan said in a statement.

No photos of the newborn or the Sussexes accompanied the announcement.

The birth comes after Harry and Meghan's explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. The couple described painful discussions about the color of their first child's skin, losing royal protection and the intense pressures that led her to contemplate suicide.

Harry and American actor Meghan Markle married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son Archie was born a year later.

In early 2020, Meghan and Harry announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Montecito, a posh area where they recently bought a house in Santa Barbara.

Last year, Meghan revealed that she had a miscarriage in July 2020, giving a personal account of the traumatic experience in hope of helping others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The video in the media player above was used in a previous report.