Picking the perfect name for your child is always an overwhelming task, and is even more so when they are going to sit on the throne one day. When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were preparing to welcome their first child into the world, they therefore knew he had to have a name that was literally fit for a king.
After many discussions, Kate and William finally decided to name their son George Alexander Louis, who is known to the public as Prince George of Cambridge. The young prince was born on July 22, 2013, and is celebrating his ninth birthday today.
Although it would be hard to imagine George being called anything else, royal expert Katie Nicholl insists that the eldest Cambridge child very nearly did have a different name. According to the author, Kate originally hoped to call her firstborn Alexander, although she and William had not decided for sure, reports The Mirror.
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Nicholl said: "Courtiers insisted the pair had not found out the sex of their unborn baby, and friends close to the couple claim William wanted a surprise. 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."
With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a crossroads, they decided to enlist the help of their beloved companion - their pet dog Lupo. The Times reports that Kate and William wrote all of their son's prospective names on pieces of paper, which they then put on the floor of their home.
The couple then let Lupo into the room, to see which piece of paper he would go over to first. He made a beeline for 'George'.
Fans of The Firm may remember Lupo from Cambridge family photos. Kate and William adopted the black cocker spaniel, who was related to some of Kate's brother, James Middleton's dogs, in 2012.
In 2020, Lupo sadly passed away, aged nine. Following his death, the Cambridges adopted another dog called Orla, who has been seen with them in public on several occasions.
Meanwhile, the name picked by Lupo is said to bear great significance because 'George' is a direct tribute to the Queen's father, King George VI. The first of George's two middle names, Alexander, is also linked to the Queen, whose full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.
George's second middle name, Louis, is the same as his dad's third middle name; Prince William's full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. Louis, of course, is now the name of George's brother, who was born in 2018, and is the youngest sibling, with Princess Charlotte being the middle child.
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