Princes William And Harry Would Have Had Totally Different Names If Charles Had His Way

Royals | Celebrity

Princes William And Harry Would Have Had Totally Different Names If Charles Had His Way

Royal families around the world have their unique customs and traditions when it comes to choosing baby names, and the British monarchy is no different.

Royal parents refrain from wacky names that celebrities are known for. Many of the members of the royal family have been named after former monarchs, which is why there are a lot of them who share the same names.

firstforwomen.com

You've probably already noticed that there are a lot of Elizabeths, Georges, and Philips. Even William and Kate opted for traditional appellations for their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

But there was one royal who wasn't going to settle for just any name for her sons.

As we all know, the late Diana didn't really like playing by the book so when the time came for her to pick names for her children, she was adamant about her choices.

ABC News

It's hard to imagine the British princes William and Harry being called anything else, but if their father, Prince Charles, had his way, the charming heirs would've been given entirely different monikers.

In the 1992 book, Diana: Her Story, the people's princess confirmed that she had the final say when it came to picking her sons' first names. Diana wanted names that sounded classic and regal but not outdated.

"I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest," she told author Andrew Morton.

What names did Diana think were too old for her 80s babies?

"He [Charles] wanted Albert and Arthur, and I said no," she explained. "Too old!"

Since marriage is all about compromise, Diana did let Charles have his wish by letting him choose the princes' middle names. Will and Harry were christened William Arthur Philip Louis and Henry Charles Albert David.

Charles picked "Arthur" based on his own middle name and "Albert" in honor of his maternal grandfather.

The Daily Beast

Although most monarchs "use their first baptismal name as their regnal name," when they assume power, William and Harry could be sporting different names once they take on the throne.

According to Harper's Bazaar, whenever a member of the royal family becomes king or queen, they can choose to have a different regnal name. For instance, Prince Charles might change his name to King George VII if he becomes king.

There's no saying what William will like to called once he becomes king, so we'll just have to stay tuned.

What do you think of Charles' name picks?

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.