Royal christening: the names

They are quite possibly the most famous three names in the world right now - George Alexander Louis.  The prince of Cambridge's name was announced just days after his birth and have been bounced around the world thousands of times.  But nothing is certain until the baptism.  For the monarch must approve the names of senior royals and just because a royal duchess is stood at the font with baby wrapped in lace and (possibly) a big hat on her head, doesn't mean her baby is going to leave the chapel with the name it had on its way in.  A capricious king or queen can change the name.  And history.

 

Let's hope Kate and William bought granny a nice birthday present this year - Elizabeth II has the final say in their son's name and she wouldn't be the first monarch to change a royal baby's moniker at the font

 

The future King George IV, while still Prince Regent, famously altered the name of his new niece at the font.  Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, had named her after her mother.  But the prince didn't like the name which was highly unusual in Britain at the time and seen by some as rather strange.  So the little girl had to wait while he made his mind up about a new name and finally pronounced that she would be called after her godfather, the Tsar of Russia.  And the little princess was christened Alexandrina with mum's name in second place.  Mum was pretty stubborn.  Whatever the prince and the archbishop said, she made sure her daughter was always called by the name she had chosen.  And that baby became known to history as Victoria, Queen and Empress.

 

If uncle George had had his way, she would have been known to history as Queen Alexandrina

 

And George V, the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, put his foot down over the name of one of his grandchildren.  The future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth wanted to call their second daughter Ann but George V told them to go away and think again and only gave his approval once they came up with Margaret Rose.  At least he got the row out of the way before the christening.  But until the Archbishop has got that full name out at today's baptism, William and Kate need to keep being very nice indeed to granny.