Royal Baby [ or babies] and baby names; Huzzah!

[count tiszula]

This unprecedented period continues with the celebration of Her Majesty's coronation, the British Lions' victory and that of Mr Murray at Wimbledon, the announcement of another royal pregnancy and of course above all the imminent birth of a new heir apparent to the throne.

As we all prepare to celebrate, to celebrate this triumphal day, it seems that there is much rather vulgar speculation about what the new prince [or princess] will be christened; indeed there is even betting on the question.

So my question is, what name you would choose for our new prince.

I gather that a popular name at the gaming-houses is Spencer [if it be a princess] ; it is after all a girl's name and borne by Diane herself. If it is a boy, I have looked at the Duchess's ancestry and chosen Olive, after Olive Lupton, as a King Olive would revive memories of the heroic Viking age we are all descended from.

So, Queen Spencer or King Olive. What would you suggest ?

[bloom]

The Queen will veto Spencer outright because Spencer is not traditionally a female name. I'm 100% sure of this. And good lord, what an absolute awful name for a Queen it would be. Trendy rubbish, familial surname or no. Olive's a traditionally female name, too. Hm.

My bets are on Alexandra for a girl and George for a boy. Boring, but nice. Royal enough. Dark horses Eleanor and Arthur (although I understand that Arthur isn't considered a very auspicious name).

I read something on another forum about the name Matilda. It'd be a neat symbolic choice, because in the 12th century she was Henry I's heir but her throne was usurped. Given that this will be the first heir for which the new rules of succession will apply to, there would be no usurping by a male relative. I think that'd be a nice little nod, but tremendously unlikely to happen.

I could natter on and on about names for ages.

[Heathcliff]

I think I heard somewhere that when Prince Charles becomes king (if he ever does) he'll be King George VII, not King Charles III. He'll use George (which is one of his middle names) due to family tradition or something.

So, it's possible that the first name the royal baby is given will not be the one used when he or she becomes king or queen. Even so, I can't see them naming the child (of either sex) Spencer or Olive...

[March Hare]

I think the Royal Family should branch out, while holding on to tradition, and call the new baby Wilhelm George Louis if it's a boy, and Wilhelmina Anastasia Antoinette if it's a girl. They would both be excellent for cementing good relations with the Continent, and entirely eminently royal into the bargain. They really can't lose.

[Grasper]

I heard (but I can't remember where from) that some possibilities for a girl's name may be Alice or Rose.

[count tiszula]

One forgets that four names is about the norm nowadays. Dare one go with Arthur Edward Henry...?

Matilda is indeed interesting; though the last time it was used for a Princess of Wales it was in the form Princess Maud, later Queen Maud of Norway, mother I believe of King Olaf, or as we spell it in English, King Olave, who seems to have been Queen Alexandra's favourite grandson. Perhaps an intermediate form like Mahaultz would serve as a subsidiary name.

And to add to this wonderful time, the Grauniad is already advising republicans to go away for a long holiday. and it's the First Night of the Proms, huzzah! And even those of us who are banned from attending as not being rich white Etonians can watch it ; on the Beeb of course..........

[count tiszula]

It's Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

.It's a trick by the wicked English to cynically try to win the affection of the Scotchpersons by adopting the Scottish royal name Alexander in a hypocritical attempt to hide the fact that the Royal Family is too English, though of course the wicked English are so ignorant that they don't even know it is a Scotch name. Still, at least they have saved on their enormous taxdollar by cutting back to three names.

[Heathcliff]

In the Winter it's cool,

In the Summer it's hot,

But all the year round,

Prince George is a clot!

(From Blackadder- Not wanting to commit treason! I don't want to die in a car crash in France.)

[smooshi]

In the Winter it's cool,

In the Summer it's hot,

But all the year round,

Prince George is a clot!

(From Blackadder- Not wanting to commit treason! I don't want to die in a car crash in France.)

"A Lovely! I said: 'Prince George is always a lovely'"

[bloom]

Hey, I was right about the first name. I think Alexander was probably the name they wanted up front, but it's just not Royal enough. I was somewhat surprised by three names instead of four until I remembered the Queen "only" has three names, too.

In the Winter it's cool,

In the Summer it's hot,

But all the year round,

Prince George is a clot!

(From Blackadder- Not wanting to commit treason! I don't want to die in a car crash in France.)

I am going straight to hell for laughing at the bolded.

Someone on another forum I'm on made a "Will's heir fell out" joke and I've been shaking with laughter ever since I read it. Though I imagine Kate would beg to differ about the falling out part.

[Smokey]

It's strange to think that for the first time since Queen Victoria's reign we have 4 monarchs (well 3 future ones) alive at the same time- and the 3 future ones are male & son grandson & great grandson of the current monarch. Hopefully we will have a photo/portrait at some point of the four generations like with Victoria.

[count tiszula]

I'D forgotten that Prince George of Cambridge was Queen Victoria's only paternal cousin, whom many expected her to marry. Later Commander-in-chief, and, had Victoria died young, could eventually have succeeded himself.

I wonder if this influenced the present choice.

Wikipedia says that the same title was given to the future George II by Queen Anne. To establish his place in her succession.