Kate Middleton Reportedly Wanted A Different Name For One Of Her Kids
Kate Middleton and Prince William's kids are the highest-ranking children within the British Royal Family. After their father, Prince William, George, Charlotte, and Louis are next in the line of succession –at least for now. Of course, George's siblings will be knocked down the list once he has his own children. Given their potential claim to the throne, it was essential that the siblings had names that exuded royalty and status and also commanded respect. Thus, the George, Charlotte, and Louis monikers were born. However, the name-picking process wasn't exactly easy for the royals, who knew how high the stakes were when it came to naming their royal babies.
During a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Kate spoke about the baby-naming process with the hospital's director, Amy Stubbs. "She just really talked about her own children including how they chose their names," revealed Stubbs to People in October 2022. "A lot of the new mums and dads are thinking about how to choose names for their babies, and they spoke with her about how Kate and William made their choice." She continued, "She said they were their favorite names and that obviously the world was waiting for them to name their children — and that felt like quite a big pressure!" Despite the special consideration, Kate actually wanted a different name for the future king – Alexander.
Kate Middleton wanted to name George something else
Kate Middleton and Prince William's oldest son, Prince George's full name is George Alexander Louis. However, Kate Middleton reportedly wanted his middle name to be his first name, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl. During a 2013 adaptation of her royal biography for Vanity Fair, Nicholl wrote, "Courtiers insisted the pair had not found out the sex of their unborn baby, and friends close to the couple claimed William wanted a surprise." She continued, "Although Kate apparently suspected it was a boy and had set her heart on the name Alexander, they had not yet decided what to call their firstborn." Meanwhile, Kate grew fond of calling the then-unborn child "our little grape."
According to The Times, Kate and William also enlisted the help of another very special royal family member to narrow down George's name. But it wasn't the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, or even William's estranged brother, Prince Harry. They used their since-departed dog, Lupo, an English Cocker Spaniel. As the story goes, Kate and William reportedly wrote down their chosen baby names on pieces of paper, then allowed Lupo, who died in 2020, to walk near the one he wanted most. Apparently, that was George. With that said, this story has never been confirmed by either William or Kate, but if it is true, this means that George will always have a special tie to his family's dearly departed pet.
Kate and William almost named Charlotte after Princess Diana
Prince William and Kate Middleton's only daughter, Princess Charlotte, full name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, bears the names of both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. However, there's reportedly a good reason why the royal parents didn't just name her Diana from the get-go. During "Secrets of the Royal Palace," royal expert Richard Kay suggested that William and Kate didn't want Charlotte to walk in the shadows of her famous grandmother. "I think he very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother's name as her first name," said Kay (via Daily Record). "Everything she did and said would have been compared with her. By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there."
Although William and Kate obviously settled on the perfect name for their princess, she doesn't always go exactly by her formal name. According to Express, Charlotte's classmates at her school, Lambrook School in Berkshire, call her Charlotte Wales, referencing the family's transition to using the last name Wales after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Prior to that, William's and his family's last name was officially Cambridge, referencing their previous royal titles as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. As the outlet also noted, Charlotte sometimes goes by the adorable name Lottie or Lottie Wales, a name given to her by her mother, Kate.