The eldest son of Prince William and Princess Kate – Prince George, has a name packed with hidden references to the royals before him. The young prince who will one day become King has the full name of Prince George Alexander Louis Mountbatten-Windsor, and his parents, Prince William and Princess Kate carefully selected his name with precision.
Prince George was born on July 22, 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital during the reign of his great grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth II. A royal biographer, Christopher Warwick, said after his birth: “It might not be too imaginative, but it isn’t too surprising.” He stated the “traditional and classic name” had a great deal of historical connections. Providing Prince William takes the throne one day, George will eventually be crowned King George VII, the 43rd English monarch to take the throne.
One of George’s earliest usages as a name, was when detailing the heroic deeds of St George – a Roman soldier living in Palestine in the third century. According to ancient tales, he was immortalised for having slain a dragon. The Prince’s second name, Alexander, was chosen in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, whose full name was Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. In 2013, royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in Vanity Fair: “Although Kate apparently suspected it was a boy and had set her heart on the name Alexander, they had not yet decided what to call their firstborn.”
His third name, Louis, is the same middle name as his father Prince William, whose full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. St James’ Palace announced that William and Kate were expecting their first child on December 3, 2012. The news came early because Kate was unwell with severe morning sickness and needed hospital treatment. Luckily, the Princess felt better in the last part of her pregnancy and the world celebrated when Prince George arrived at 4.24pm on July 22, 2013.
Prince George was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London, weighing 8lb 6oz. It is reported that the young royal has an unusual nickname. Friends of the royal couple starting calling Prince George ‘PG’ shortly after his birth. This inspired his parents to start nicknaming him Tips, after the famous tea brand PG Tips. The young royal, now aged 10, is currently a student at Lambrook School – the school also attended by his two younger siblings, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and five-year-old Prince Louis.
Prince George will likely not need to attend another school until he turns 13 in 2026 but a lot of thought and planning goes into choosing the right school for a member of the Royal Family, especially the future King. One option for higher education is for the Prince to attend the £34,000-a-year Oundle School but the Prince and Princess of Wales are said to also be considering Eton and Marlborough College too.
