What's in a name? That depends on whom you ask. Now that the royal baby's moniker has been revealed — Kensington Palace announced in a statement on Wednesday, July 24, that Kate Middleton and Prince William had decided on George Alexander Louis — everyone wants to know the meaning behind the choice. But one insider says it might not be as significant as people imagine.
"Don't read into [the names] too much," a source close to the Duke and Duchess tells Us Weekly. "They are not meant to be symbolic; they are just names the couple like."
That said, there are a few coincidences worth noting. For example, George is the name of Queen Elizabeth II's father George VI and grandfather George V. And Alexander is the male version of the name of Prince William's godmother Princess Alexandra. (Alexandra is also Queen Elizabeth II's middle name.) Louis, meanwhile, is one of the Duke's own middle names, as well as one of Prince Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten's middle names.
Another fact worth noting is that Prince George won't necessarily become King George. Monarchs have the option of choosing alternative names when they take the throne; King George VI, for example, was born Albert Frederick Arthur George. If the new heir does choose to keep his name, however, he would become King George VII.
Of course, that decision is still a long way off. Born Monday, July 22, the Prince of Cambridge isn't even a week old yet. Right now, he and his famous parents are just basking in the glow of their new family.
"It's very emotional," Duchess Catherine gushed of becoming a mom. "Such a special time. I think any parent probably sort of knows what this feeling feels like."