While it's unclear just how much say Queen Elizabeth has had in choosing names for her
grandchildren and her great-grandchildren, there have been quite a few rumors surrounding
whether or not she approved the name that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose for their
newborn daughter.
"It's a girl!"
A report by BBC News claims that the queen was not asked about the name Lilibet Diana,
despite the name "Lilibet" being a family nickname for her. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan
have fired back against those claims.
Generally speaking, most royal family members receive traditional names that hold great
meaning. Many of these names, such as George, have been in the royal family for decades.
However, there is one name in particular that may not have come to be if it wasn't for the
queen's influence.
When Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson told Queen Elizabeth the name that they had chosen
for their baby girl who-would-be Beatrice back in 1988, the queen apparently wasn't
thrilled, according to the Sun. Evidently, Andrew and Sarah had chosen the name "Annabel"
for their newborn, but the queen wasn't a fan.
The reason that the queen didn't like the name Annabel? She thought it sounded too "yuppie,"
according to the outlet. The couple then came up with the name Victoria, but the queen reportedly
didn't like that either. The baby went unnamed for 11 days, according to the Sun, until the
Queen herself suggested "Beatrice."
Fast forward, and now-grown-up Beatrice is expecting her first child later this year.
The queen was said to be "delighted" with the news, though it's unclear whether or not
the queen will be consulted about the name that Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli
Mozzi, choose for their newborn. According to Express, Beatrice and Edoardo will choose
a name from a "small pool" of royal names.
Since Prince William is second in line to the British throne, the names that he and
Kate Middleton had chosen for their children were more than likely run by Queen Elizabeth
before they were made official. According to Express, the fact that William will become
king after his father dies — and then Prince George after William dies — the names chosen
for the Cambridge children must follow royal tradition. A royal expert told the outlet
that the conversation about baby names with the queen is rather "informal," but it's presumed
that she absolutely would voice any and all concerns. Royal commentator Kate Williams
told CNN,
"The Queen has the power to say what their title is. But in the case of names, it is
more of an informal conversation. Per royal protocol, members of the Royal Family typically
share the name they have chosen for their child with the queen before announcing it.
Of course [the royal family] have such respect for the Queen that if she says 'I really don't
like that name', they'd definitely take that into account."
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all received a stamp of approval. Whether
or not these were the top names on William and Kate Middleton's list, well, we may never
know.
Queen Elizabeth has 11 great-grandchildren as of July 2021, and that number will be 12
when Princess Beatrice gives birth in the fall. All have names with special meaning.
As the Independent points out, if you take a look at names within the royal family, you
will likely see quite a few repeats. However, according to history professor Carolyn Harris,
"The further down the line of succession, the more likely you are to have a more unique
or un-traditional name."
This holds true for Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall. Zara is 19th in line to the
British throne, so the name choices for her children are a bit less traditional. She and
her husband Mike named their youngest child Lucas, which you won't find on the British
family tree.
The couple honored Zara's grandfather, however, by giving Lucas the middle name "Philip."
Zara and Mike named their second daughter Lena Elizabeth Tindall; her first name appears
to be the shortened version of "Helena," perhaps after Queen Victoria's fifth child, Princess
Helena, while the child's middle name is a nod to the Queen.
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