Kate and William's 'wise' decision over Princess Charlotte's name

A royal expert has pointed out how the Prince and Princess of Wales made a "wise" decision when it came to naming their daughter, Princess Charlotte.

The couple welcomed their baby girl on 2 May, 2015 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. While there were a number of names which were thought to be possibilities as the name of the new royal baby, it was expected that there would be reference to Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Ultimately the new princess was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, and, according to royal expert Richard Kay, the couple consciously decided not to give their daughter a first name that would constantly draw comparisons to royal women from the past.

Richard believes this was a "wise" choice, suggesting it would have placed young Charlotte in an awkward position throughout her life.

Speaking on the Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Palaces, he said: "I think he very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother's name as her first name.

"Everything she did and said would have been compared with her. By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there."

William, who was just 15 when his mother tragically passed away in Paris on 31 August 1997, has often shared how her memory continues to influence his life.

Royal editor Emily Andrews commented: "William has spoken about the loss of his mother and the impact it had. He thinks about her pretty much every day and he wants to keep his mother's memory alive.", reports the Mirror.

In contrast, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appeared less concerned with Royal protocol in 2021 when they named their daughter Lilibet, which was Queen Elizabeth's family nickname. The choice sparked controversy, with claims circulating that the Sussexes hadn't sought the Queen's blessing.

However, a spokesperson for the Sussexes, now residing in Montecito after stepping back from senior Royal duties, insisted they would not have chosen the name without the Queen's approval, stating: "The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called."

This account was later challenged by Royal author Robert Hardman, whose autobiography revealed that the Queen was "as angry as I'd ever seen her" over the suggestion she had sanctioned the name.