When it came to naming the future king, it turns out there was a full-blown baby name battle brewing behind palace walls.
According to royal biographer Russell Myers in his upcoming book William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, the Prince and Princess of Wales didn’t exactly agree on what to call their firstborn – now known to the world as Prince George.
When the royal couple welcomed their son on July 22, 2013, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. As a future heir to the throne, every syllable of his name would carry centuries of history. But behind the scenes, the choice was anything but straightforward.
Kate, now Princess of Wales, reportedly had her “heart set” on something quite different. She was said to be enamored with Alexander for a boy – or Alexandra if the baby had been a girl – even floating the ideas among close friends and flipping through a baby name book gifted by a pal. The couple didn’t find out their baby’s sex ahead of time, adding even more suspense to the decision.
Meanwhile, Prince William had his own ideas. Insiders say he privately hoped for a daughter and was keen to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, in the name. If a girl had arrived first, a tribute to Diana was high on his list.
But in a cheeky twist, William reportedly delighted in teasing his staff with wildly unexpected suggestions. He would kick off meetings by casually asking what they thought of “Rodney” or “Graham” for a royal baby – only to burst out laughing at their stunned reactions.
In the end, tradition won out. William narrowed his top picks for a boy down to George and Louis. The name George carries enormous historical weight, widely seen as a nod to King George VI, the monarch who guided Britain through World War II.
The final choice? George Alexander Louis.
While Kate didn’t get Alexander as a first name, it found its place in the middle – a quiet compromise that blended her preference with William’s nods to royal legacy.
Since then, the couple have added two more children to their family: Princess Charlotte, whose middle names honour both Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, and Prince Louis, whose name is thought to reference Lord Louis Mountbatten, the beloved uncle of Prince Philip.
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