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The Queen shares statement following birth of Harry and Meghan's daughter

Congratulations to the Sussexes!

the queen meghan markle
Ainhoa Barcelona
Content Managing Editor
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The Queen has shared her joy following the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan's baby daughter.

A sweet message shared to the official Royal Family Twitter account on Sunday evening read: "Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news. Lilibet is Her Majesty’s 11th great-grandchild."

BREAKING: Meghan Markle welcomes baby girl with Prince Harry

A statement released by Buckingham Palace on behalf of the monarch and the senior royals earlier in the day read: "The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex."

WATCH: Meghan and Harry welcome baby girl - and reveal her name

Harry and Meghan welcomed their second child on 4 June. The couple's spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement, saying: 

"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

"Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA.  

"She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well and settling in at home.  

WATCH: Meghan Markle curtsies to the Queen for first time in public

"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales. 

"This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they  enjoy this special time as a family."

The newborn is the eleventh great-grandchild for the Queen. The royal family has grown a lot this year, with the arrival of Harry and Meghan's second child as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's first child, a son August, in February and Zara and Mike Tindall's third child, a son Lucas, who was born in March. 

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are also expecting their first child this autumn. 

Harry and Meghan's daughter is now eighth-in-line to the British throne after her big brother Archie, her dad Harry, her cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, her uncle Prince William, her grandfather Prince Charles and of course, the Queen.

meghan markle and the queen event© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen is delighted for Harry and Meghan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are also the proud parents of two-year-old son Archie, had previously revealed they were having a girl during their highly publicised interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March.

MORE: What Archie's first word says about Prince Harry and Meghan's parenting

After Oprah asked the couple if they knew the baby's gender, Meghan sweetly looked at her husband, nodded and told him, "You can tell her." "No, go for it," Harry said, as his wife insisted, "No, no." "It's a girl!" Harry proudly said, throwing his arms into the air and exclaiming, "Yeah!"

meghan markle with archie© Photo: Getty Images

The couple with their son Archie

The couple announced their pregnancy on Valentine's Day by releasing a gorgeous black-and-white photo showing Meghan with her head in Harry's lap as she cradled her baby bump. The shot was taken remotely by photographer and friend of the couple Misan Harriman.

"We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child," their spokesperson said at the time.

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