Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born on April 23, 2018, and Kensington Palace has just confirmed the new royal baby’s name!
He’ll be fifth in line to the throne, behind his grandfather, Prince Charles; father, Prince William, and siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. This is notable, because Prince Louis is the first royal baby following the Succession to the Crown Act of 2015. Until that time, boys leapfrogged their sisters in the line of succession. Now male children no longer precede their elder sisters. This means that Princess Charlotte remains fourth in line.
About the Prince’s Name: Louis
Current popularity rank: #71 in England; #289 in the US
We see Louis as royal. In France? That’s so very true. But it’s not quite as solidly to the purple born in England. Will’s full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. The Louis was a nod to Prince Charles’ great-uncle, the late Lord Mountbatten, to whom he was quite close. They’ve passed it on to George as his second middle, so it feels very House of Windsor these days. They pronounce it the French way, so it sounds more like Louie than Lewis.
Perhaps the deciding factor? While no one can argue with Louis as royal and meaningful to the family, it’s not a name in use by any prominent member of the royal family. That means that little Prince Louis Arthur Charles can make it uniquely his own.
About the Prince’s Name: Arthur
Current popularity rank: #30 in England; #273 in the US
Arthur was the frontrunner for a brother for George and Charlotte. It’s nicely royal. There’s never been a King Arthur – not counting the legendary one – but there was a Prince of Wales by the name. (Henry VIII’s older brother was Arthur.) Prince William’s full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. Plus, the family seems to prefer mainstream favorites, and Top 50 Arthur fits.
My feeling about why he’s Prince Louis Arthur Charles rather than Prince Arthur? While the name is handsome, being Prince Arthur would be a lot to live up to.
About the Prince’s Name: Charles
Current popularity rank: #72 in England; #51 in the US
The new prince has his grandfather’s name, Charles, as a final middle. This mirrors big sister Charlotte’s full name, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. It’s been a royal favorite since Charlemagne, and appears in plenty of the ruling houses of Europe. That makes it a fitting final choice for the littlest Cambridge.
Congratulations to the family, and welcome to the world, Prince Louis!
It was definitely a surprise. I don’t think anyone was expecting them to use Louis since it was already one of George’s middle names. I also was expecting them to honor Kate’s dad for a boy; Charlotte honors William’s father already. (My guesses were Philip and Arthur for a first name, or maybe Albert, with Michael somwhere in the middle.) While Louis definitely sounds royal, it does feel recycled and less distinctive. But maybe the Cambridges really love the name, and, in that case, it’s perfect for them. Even if it’s rather disappointing for some of us. In the end, Louis Arthur Charles is a very handsome and classy name.
I’m so disappointed. To me, the flow isn’t that great. And I know it’s common to reuse names in a royal family, and they have a limited pool of names to begin with, but I thought the Cambridge’s would be more modern and not reuse a name.
I like Louis! It was a nice surprise, since no one was expecting a repeat of George’s names.
I’d been waiting rather impatiently to hear the name! I was slightly surprised by the repeated (and near-repeated) names, but Louis Arthur Charles is a handsome name, and quite regal.
Welcome, Prince Louis!