Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Nice to meet Lou William and Kate reveal they named their third child Louis Arthur Charles
Could the baby prince become our Sun King?
PRINCE William and Kate kept the nation guessing for four days over the name of their new prince.
And yesterday the wait was finally over when they revealed they had decided on Louis Arthur Charles.
Kensington Palace made the announcement at 11am via social media.
The brief statement said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son Louis Arthur Charles.
“The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child, who is fifth in line to the throne, was born on Monday at London’s St Mary’s Hospital, weighing 8lb 7oz.
Their choice of name – which is pronounced Lou-ee rather than Lou-iss – is understood to be a tribute to Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten, a Royal Navy officer and the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
A key figure in royal history, he was instrumental in the relationship between his nephew Philip and the future queen Princess Elizabeth.
He was also a mentor to young Prince Charles and the family was devastated when he was killed by an IRA bomb in County Sligo, Ireland, in 1979.
Both Prince William, 35, and first son Prince George, four, have Louis as a middle name.
William and Prince Charles have Arthur as a middle name – as did the Queen’s father King George VI.
The Duke and Duchess’ decision to include Charles as another middle
name is clearly a tribute to
STATEMENT YESTERDAY
William’s father and follows the choice to call their daughter Charlotte, which is the feminine form.
Yesterday’s news was a surprise to punters and bookmakers, as Louis had been priced at 18/1 or higher.
Albert had become the favourite – taking over from the previous frontrunner Arthur – as speculation rose just hours before the announcement.
Ladbrokes said it paid out just short of £100,000 on Louis yesterday with the largest win, £2,100, going to a man in Surrey who staked £100 on Wednesday. Coral revealed it paid out £5,000.
Alex Apati, a spokesman for Ladbrokes, said: “Prince Louis has caught both bookies and punters by surprise.
“With it being one of Prince George’s middle names, fans didn’t see it as an obvious front-runner for Kate and Wills’ second son.” Following the name announcement, the public took to social media to air their views.
TV presenter Piers Morgan tweeted: “In a defiant two fingers to Brexit, William & Kate have given their baby a French name: Louis. One used by 18 French kings.”
Another Twitter user posted: “Apparently the Duchess has always been a big @Thexfactor fan and so has named the baby Prince as a Homage to Louis Walsh! #royalbaby #royalbabyname.”
Others joked he was named after One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson or documentary maker Louis Theroux.
The latest addition to the Royal Family remained inside Kensington Palace yesterday as his gran Carole Middleton was seen driving to collect George from school. LOUIS is the French and English form of the German name Ludwig, meaning famous warrior or famous in battle.
It is currently the 71st most popular name for a baby boy in England and Wales, but is now likely to be used more often.