ROYAL TRIBUTE
Why naming the new prince Louis was a touching gesture
It was a name very few people picked. Louis, after all, is one of Prince George’s middle names, so it seemed unlikely that it would be chosen by Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for their second son.
But clearly it’s a favourite with the couple, who announced via Twitter that their new wee boy was called Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge. However, they took four days to break the news – compared with two for his siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte – which suggests that maybe there was quite some deliberation over the suitability of the name Louis, which also happens to be one of William’s middle names.
It is doubtful that there would have been an issue with getting it approved by the Queen. For starters, she has recycled names herself – she called her third son Edward, despite already having given her second son the names Andrew Albert Christian
Edward. And she clearly likes the name Louis – she opted for it as a middle name for Edward (along with Antony and Richard).
However, it is Prince Philip, the baby’s great-grandfather, who will be overwhelmed the most by the choice of name.
It is believed to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was both Philip’s uncle, and a second cousin, once removed, of the Queen (92).
Philip (96), who was all but abandoned by his father,
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, regarded his uncle – officially Earl Mountbatten of Burma but affectionately known by his family as Uncle Dickie – as a father figure and mentor.
Louis Mountbatten was a naval officer who had a distinguished career. He fought in both world wars and helped plan the famous D-Day Invasion in June 1944. He was also the last Viceroy of India and the first Governor General of the former British colony, after it gained independence, and also the Chief of Defence Staff in the UK.
Sadly, he was assassinated, along with three others, when the IRA detonated a bomb onboard his fishing boat in 1979. Philip and the Queen were devastated, as was Prince Charles, who was Louis’ godson.
Despite the family history and affection for the name,
Louis was not one of the top contenders for the new baby. The popular picks were Arthur (one of his middle names), Albert and James.
One royal watcher says,
“We all missed it because it’s George’s middle name and we didn’t think Kate and William would recycle it. But it ticks the boxes as it does have a royal history as well as special meaning to the family, and it is an acceptable playground name for this generation, unlike Albert and Arthur.”
Louis was the 71st most popular name in England and Wales at the time of his birth, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics. In 2016, just 911 boys were given the name Louis in England and Wales. By contrast, George (4) and Charlotte (2) were both top 20 names when William (35) and Kate (36) chose them.
Like his siblings, Louis has the title HRH, but he wouldn’t have been a prince if it wasn’t for his great-grandmother, the Queen, changing the law a few years ago. Shortly before George was born, Her Majesty not only made sure that girls were not bumped down the line of succession, but she overturned a rule that saw all HRH titles limited to just the monarch, their children, grandchildren and the Prince of Wales’ first grandson. Under this rule, Prince George
THE NAME OF THE LITTLEST ROYAL IS DEAR TO BOTH THE QUEEN AND HER HUSBAND