Princess Charlotte’s full name pays homage to family members (Image: GETTY)
When Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, , they named her – and the decision not to use ‘Diana’ as their daughter’s first name was thought to be deliberate.
This choice in name of the young royal, now nine, honoured significant family members: ‘Charlotte’ is the feminine form of ‘Charles,’ paying tribute to William’s father, King Charles, ‘Elizabeth’ acknowledges the late , and ‘Diana’ serves as a heartfelt homage to William’s late mother, .
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, going forward.
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Charlotte’s full name is – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (Image: Getty)
Speaking on the Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Palaces, the expert 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.”
By positioning ‘Diana’ as a middle name, William ensured his mother’s legacy was honoured without subjecting his daughter to the burdens such a prominent name might carry.
, was only 15-years-old in Paris on 31 August 1997, has often shared how her memory continues to influence his life.
As reported in the , royal editor, Emily Andrews said: “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.”
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On the other hand, and raised eyebrows when they gave their daughter the late Queen Elizabeth’s family nickname – ‘Lilibet’. Their daughter;s full name is – Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, or Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
, and was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her name correctly.
A spokesman for the Sussexes, who now live Los Angeles after quitting their roles as senior royals, said they wouldn’t have used the name “had she not been supportive”.
This was however disputed in a later autobiography by journalist Robert Hardman, who said the late Queen was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” over claims she had approved the name.