Princess Charlotte named after royal grandparents
THE NAME of the Princess of Cambridge has finally been revealed to the world as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
In a touching tribute to Prince William’s family, the little girl has been named in honour of her grandfather, her grandmother and her greatgrandmother.
Announcing the name in a statement yesterday afternoon after days of speculation, Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
“The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.”
A princess called Charlotte – a name that is French in origin – is a nod to her grandfather, the Prince of Wales while Elizabeth and Diana are in tribute to William’s grandmother and his late mother Charlotte is also the middle name of mom Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge decided on a name for their daughter shortly after the birth but want to inform the Queen personally before it was publicly released
Royal aides said the baby’s second names were self-evident and would “speak for themselves”. As for Charlotte, they pointed out that much had been written about it being the feminine form of Charles.
Another royal source said they understood the couple simply liked the name – but admitted it was a “happy coincidence” that both William’s father and mother would live on in their grand-daughter.
For William, naming his daughter after Charles will be seen as a clear public demonstration of his love for the prince.
William is protective of his father, defending him against criticism he has often faced and often speaking of his deep admiration for the amount of time the prince commits to his charitable work.
In choosing to call their daughter Charlotte, the Cambridges have picked a traditional name with royal connections. Queen Charlotte was the wife of George III, known as the “mad king”, and was a keen botanist who founded the world-renowned Kew Gardens.
Their first daughter was called Charlotte and George IV also gave the name to his only child.
The name was particularly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries due to Queen Charlotte’s influence in tandem with that of novelist Charlotte Bronte. It rose in popularity in the 1980s, particularly in the UK and Australia.
Surprisingly, popularity of the name Charlotte is expected to fall.
Sasha Miller, International Managing Editor of BabyCentre said: “It’s a lovely name but we’re expecting to see fewer babies being called Charlotte in the coming months.
“Parents don’t want to be labelled as having been influenced by others in their baby name choice, particularly by such a high-profile family. New parents who had been thinking of naming their baby Charlotte, may well now be thinking again.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, Charlotte was the 21st most popular name for girls in England and Wales in 2013. It has fallen in popularity over the last decade.