True, it may be premature to speculate on what names Prince William and Kate Middleton will choose for the future offspring but it's always good to be prepared.
Once the final balcony appearance is made, royal pregnancy speculation will begin in earnest. No grace period, no enjoying their newlywed status, it will be time to get down to business. This is the monarchy we're talking about and it's up to William and Kate to continue the line.
But what will these inevitable regal additions be named?
Considering that their first born will likely be a future King or Queen, the babe needs an equally historic moniker. While Ethan and Emily may be popular choices, the royal couple is highly unlikely to choose those names for their own children. In William's family many names have been popular over the years, however gone are the days when the names Victoria and Albert were mandatory additions.
It's likely that any names chosen for their children will include a tribute to members of the royal family. William's own names - William Arthur Philip Louis - include nods to his grandfather, Prince Phillip and honorary grandfather, Lord Louis Mountbatten. The Queen's own names - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary - are after her mother, great-grandmother Queen Alexandra and her grandmother Queen Mary. Princess Anne's names - Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise - include nods to her mother and maternal grandmother, her paternal grandmother and her great-aunt, Queen Louise of Sweden. It's realistic to expect that names for a future daughter might include Elizabeth or Diana, if only as secondary names. For a boy, William and Kate are likely to add Charles or Michael - after their respective fathers.
For a girl they could choose Victoria, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Mary, Charlotte, Anne, or even Catherine. All regal choices with historical precedent as the names of Queen's regnant and royal consorts. They are strong sounding names denoting regal status. Likewise, for a boy, Edward, George, Henry, James, John and Robert are the names of previous kings. As the Patron Saint of Wales, including the name David could be a nice touch.
Of course, despite the choice, the monarch is free to choose a different name they would like to reign as. Queen Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria and known throughout her childhood as 'Drina'. Though born Albert Edward, he chose to be known as Edward VII when he came to the throne. After the abdication crisis, Prince Albert chose to be known as George VI to reflect the continuity of the monarchy. There are even predictions that Prince Charles himself might choose to be known as George - one of his Christian names - rather than as King Charles III given it's tragic history with previous monarchs.
It will be interesting to see what names the couple choose for their children. With no formal guidelines surrounding names, William and Kate have the freedom to choose an appropriate name based on preference as opposed to family tradition.
© Marilyn Braun 2011
