Yahoo News Duchess of Cambridge expecting third child: What will the Royal baby be called?
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child, Kensington Palace has confirmed — sparking early speculation about baby names.
William and Kate already have two children, Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, and they are likely to keep it traditional when choosing a name for their third child.
As before, the couple will wait until the Queen has been informed of the baby’s name before they announce it to the world.
If the baby is a girl, they are thought likely to pick a royal name such as Alice — which was the name of one of Queen Victoria’s daughters and also of the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother — or Victoria after the baby’s long-reigning ancestor.
Other suggestions include Alexandra or Mary, the Queen’s two middle names and the names of her grandmother Queen Mary and great-grandmother Queen Alexandra.
Another option is Amelia, the name of one of George III’s daughters. The name has been the most popular girls’ name in England and Wales since 2011.
Elizabeth — after the baby’s great-grandmother the Queen — has already been used as one of Charlotte’s middle names, as has Diana in remembrance of William’s late mother.
Dorothy might be selected as a middle name in tribute to Kate’s maternal grandmother.
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Historically royal names such as James — also the name of Kate’s brother — are among the favourite predictions for a boy, along with Philip, which might be chosen out of respect for William’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Other contenders could be Charles, to honour the Prince of Wales, Albert, Arthur, Frederick or even Henry — Prince Harry’s actual name.
Francis is a family name for the Middletons, while Diana, Princess of Wales’s middle name was Frances. A middle name tribute might be made to Kate’s father Michael, or her paternal grandfather Peter.
Both George and Charlotte have two middle names — George’s are Alexander and Louis — so the new addition to the family is also likely to be given two.
William and Kate chose Alexander as a second name for George simply because they liked the name, and they went for Louis in memory of Charles’s beloved late great-uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten.
If the new royal baby is a boy, he is expected to be given a dukedom in the future, most likely on his wedding day if he marries.
If a girl, it will be Princess Charlotte, rather than the new baby, who may one day have the honorary style the Princess Royal, which is currently used by Princess Anne. It is customarily given by the sovereign to his or her eldest daughter.
The baby will be styled HRH Prince (forename) of Cambridge or HRH Princess (forename) of Cambridge. Should he or she require a surname, such as on marriage, it will be Mountbatten-Windsor.
