Nicolai Haugsted
Inside William and Kate’s private debate over Prince George’s name.
Prince George has officially entered his teenage years, but newly published details suggest Britain’s future king very nearly grew up with a completely different first name.
Fresh revelations from a new book about the Prince and Princess of Wales offer a rare glimpse into the private discussions that took place before Prince William and Princess Kate welcomed their first child in 2013.
Kate reportedly had another favorite
When William and Kate introduced their newborn son outside London’s Lindo Wing more than 13 years ago, Kensington Palace later announced his full name as George Alexander Louis.
According to Yahoo Entertainment via. royal editor Russell Myers’ book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, that was not Princess Kate’s original preference.
“Catherine had settled on Alexander for a boy or Alexandra (which is also Queen Elizabeth’s middle name) for a girl. William had privately expressed that he preferred to have a girl, and he was keen to incorporate a tribute to his late mother, most likely in the form of a middle name,” Myers writes.
William and Kate chose not to learn the baby’s sex before the birth, leaving them to prepare names for both possibilities.
William joked about unusual names
Despite the significance of choosing a name for a future monarch, Myers describes the process as surprisingly light-hearted.
William is said to have amused members of his communications team by pretending to seek their opinions on deliberately unexpected names during serious meetings.
“What do you think of Rodney for a boy, or perhaps Graham?” William reportedly joked before bursting into laughter.
Myers also writes that the couple spent hours looking through a baby name book given to them by a close friend.
“The couple had been given a baby names book by a close friend, which they spent hours flicking through — often ending up in fits of laughter after one or the other came up with a more unconventional suggestion,” he writes.
Alexander remained part of George’s name
Although George ultimately became the chosen first name, Kate’s preferred option was not abandoned completely.
Alexander was included as Prince George’s first middle name, followed by Louis, which is also one of Prince William’s middle names.
William’s wish to honor his late mother was fulfilled a few years later when Princess Charlotte was given the middle names Elizabeth and Diana.
Britain marked Prince George’s 13th birthday earlier this week with a new portrait released by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Photographed by Matt Porteous at Kensington Palace, the image shows the future king dressed in a dark blazer and white shirt.
Palace social media accounts also shared private family moments from an Easter holiday in Cornwall, including footage of the young royal climbing rocks and playing cricket by the water.
