Prince Charles Wanted to Give William and Harry Very Different Names
Of the many reasons to admire Princess Diana, we truly respect her because the late royal was a great mom. As far as we’re concerned, “The People’s Princess” did a wonderful job not only raising her boys but also naming them. It’s hard to picture Prince William or Prince Harry with any other names — though that would have been the case had Prince Charles gotten his way.
Andrew Morton, who wrote a biography about Princess Diana called Diana: Her True Story ($9.35, Amazon), revealed in his book that Charles wanted to call the boys Albert and Arthur. “I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest,” Diana said. “He wanted Albert and Arthur, and I said no — too old!”
We have nothing against the names Albert and Arthur; they’re fine names! But we can see what Diana was thinking. For example, Prince Albert of Monaco — Grace Kelly’s son — is maybe the most famous living Albert, and he’s 60 years old. It would have taken William and Harry decades to grow into their names.
In the end, Diana obviously won out. However, Prince Charles still found a way to insert his preferences. Prince William’s full name is William Arthur Philip Louis, and Prince Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David. (Yes, Prince Harry’s real name isn’t Harry!)
If William, for whatever reason, doesn’t like his name, there’s an odd rule in place in Britain that would allow him to change his moniker when he becomes king. Prince Charles is expected to change his regnal name to King George VII if and when he takes over from Queen Elizabeth. That said, not all royals change their name. Queen Elizabeth is an example of a monarch who chose to keep her Christian name.
Interesting, right?
Princess Diana wasn’t the only commoner who married a royal. Watch the video below to learn about the fascinating love stories of some of your favorite royals:
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