Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

[grandduchessella]

I can't remember exactly what order of the names I had predicted before but I don't think I've changed too much on the names themselves--I think the first name will be either Charlotte or Alexandra and I think Elizabeth, Diana and Carole (or Caroline) will be in the mix. Probably 4 names alltogether? So Charlotte/Alexandra Elizabeth Diana Carole. I had thought Victoria but with the future Queen Victoria of Sweden there--2 Queen Victorias now matter how brief the overlap? I don't know.  For a boy, I think the first name will be George with Charles, Michael and Philip in the mix.

[LisaG]

I'm still holding out for my dark horses - Helena and Mathilda. Helena because it's the only one of Victoria's daughter's names that hasn't been used by the RF, and Mathilda because, if this baby is a girl, then she'll be the first English monarch who will rule over a brother since Mathilda/Maud. (Right? I think that's right.) But that's just me!

I still think George for a boy, but my dark house there is Arthur.

[grandduchessella]

Ever since Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the name has been in the mix for the men in the direct line:

Albert Frederick Arthur George (GVI)
Charles Phillip Arthur George
William Arthur Philip Louis

but not as a first name. Do you think they'd want to go with a potential King Arthur? (Of course, the monarch can choose to be called whatever he wants so he could be Prince Arthur up until the time he became King) I hadn't realized that William had it as well so I could definitely see it being somewhere in the mix, if only for tradition's sake.

Sarah Chatto's son is also named Arthur.

[Jen_94]

I'm still holding out for my dark horses - Helena and Mathilda. Helena because it's the only one of Victoria's daughter's names that hasn't been used by the RF, and Mathilda because, if this baby is a girl, then she'll be the first English monarch who will rule over a brother since Mathilda/Maud. (Right? I think that's right.) But that's just me!

I still think George for a boy, but my dark house there is Arthur.

Princess Eugenie's name is Eugenie Victoria Helena. I like the name Helena too.

[Kalafrana]

Matilda never did reign. She and her supporters claimed that she was the rightful ruler, but never that she was the ruler. This was at a time when a reign began with the coronation, and she was never crowned.

Ann

[RoyalWatcher]

We have to bear in mind that the child is a future monarch, which, I think, rules out Philip - rather a pity, but the only other Philip to be King of England was Philip II of Spain through his marriage to Mary Tudor. Not a happy precedent.

Ann

I was thinking the exact same thing, but what ultimately tipped my guess was William himself. His approach to royal life is so different from his family. I think it would secretly tickle HM if he and Kate decided to name him Phillip (but not as much as if they choice Albert or George after her beloved Papa), and I think Phillip would be super chuffed about it albeit privately. Talk about breaking with tradition! That's what William seems to try to do when possible. I hope they choose the names they want even if that means breaking with royal tradition. Here's to hoping they do!

=Annie=
(aka Ann Elizabeth)
(aka RoyalWatcher)

[IvanVII]

We have to bear in mind that the child is a future monarch, which, I think, rules out Philip - rather a pity, but the only other Philip to be King of England was Philip II of Spain through his marriage to Mary Tudor. Not a happy precedent.

Ann

I was thinking the exact same thing, but what ultimately tipped my guess was William himself. His approach to royal life is so different from his family. I think it would secretly tickle HM if he and Kate decided to name him Phillip (but not as much as if they choice Albert or George after her beloved Papa), and I think Phillip would be super chuffed about it albeit privately. Talk about breaking with tradition! That's what William seems to try to do when possible. I hope they choose the names they want even if that means breaking with royal tradition. Here's to hoping they do!

=Annie=
(aka Ann Elizabeth)
(aka RoyalWatcher)

The thing is he likes to break tradition while being respectful about it, so I think Philip becomes a real choice.

[Janet Ashton]

I'm still holding out for my dark horses - Helena and Mathilda. Helena because it's the only one of Victoria's daughter's names that hasn't been used by the RF, and Mathilda because, if this baby is a girl, then she'll be the first English monarch who will rule over a brother since Mathilda/Maud. (Right? I think that's right.) But that's just me!

I still think George for a boy, but my dark house there is Arthur.

This is quite interesting, because Matilda and Arthur are both rather popular as names at the moment - and also very ancient in terms of Royal tradition. Matilda keeps popping up on boards as a suggestion, but I expect they'll go for something less obviously fashionble...they seem fairly conservative sort of people!

[grandduchessella]

I don't think it will happen but someone on another group mentioned 'Eleanor/Eleanore'. That could be very pretty. If the Cambridges have more than one child, it will be interesting to see what they may come up with after the pressure of naming the future monarch is off. I don't think they'd go with a Zara or anything even then but they'd certainly have more freedom to play about. Maybe a Matilda (Australia would really love that) or Arthur could pop up then.

[Jen_94]

Eleanor is certainly a pretty name. William mentioned that they were thinking about having two children.

Victoria is now the bookies favourite alongside Charlotte and Alexandra for a girl.
http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/1858178/report-bookies-shut-shop-as-victoria-emerges-top-candidate-for-royal-baby-name

[RoyalWatcher]

Is anyone else checking the news feeds every so often [obsessively  ] ever since the media threw out a wild guess last week that maybe Kate's due date isn't actually the 13th, but earlier as Diana had done with William's due date...supposedly?

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

I'm still going with Eleanor and Philip...

But I would not be disappointed if Charlotte or Alexandra were chosen...  Victoria, Elizabeth and Caroline would be second names for my choices.
Geoffrey is another I'd pick for a first name and even Gregory or Christopher;  and Richard or Frederick for a second one.

We've had too many Henrys, Edwards and Georges and James is a long shot and John is a non-runner...
Mary is boring and Diana is trouble;  and I guess Joanna is out (Juana la Loca).....  Sophia and Amelia would be different!

Larry

[Kalafrana]

We've had quite a lot of Fredericks as first names under the Hanoverians and as middle names more recently (George VI was Albert Frederick Arthur George), but King Frederick sounds terribly German!

The Danes have had alternating Christians and Frederiks for 500 years, so a narrow name pool for monarchs need not cause problems.

Ann

[Jen_94]

Is anyone else checking the news feeds every so often [obsessively  ] ever since the media threw out a wild guess last week that maybe Kate's due date isn't actually the 13th, but earlier as Diana had done with William's due date...supposedly?

I have been doing so, every day! The baby could come any day now. I have a feeling something is going to happen this week or early next.

[CHRISinUSA]

I have a question about how royal and noble titles co-exist.  The papers are all today reporting that the child will be titled HRH Prince X of Cambridge, or HRH Princess Y of Cambridge.  I understand that is due to the Queen's Letters patent (issued earlier this year) that all of the children born to the Cambridges would be entitled to the HRH style and the rank and title of Prince / Princess of the UK.  Without those special Letters Patent, the 1917 Letters Patent of George V would apply, and as a male line great-grandchild of the Queen the baby would only be styled as the child of a duke.

But if the child is a son, isn't he also entitled to use William's senior subsidiary peerage title - and in this case become HRH Earl of Strathearn?  Edward's son is Viscount Severn - if he had been allowed to adopt his royal birthright and be known as a prince, would he still be HRH Prince James, Viscount Severn? 

Or is the overriding rule that if you hold a royal princely title by birth, than you don't also add a courtesy peerage title to the end of that?