Duchess Catherine and Prince William have given their little son the classic and oh-so-regal name of Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge.
The British Royal Family announced the name through the palace’s social media channels on Friday April 27th, 11am UK time.
In a statement, Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son Louis Arthur Charles. The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge.”
Now that we’ve had time to adsorb the happy news (and can we just say, thank goodness they didn’t choose Albert!), we’re breaking down what his full royal moniker means…
What is the royal baby’s name meaning?
Louis, which is of German and French origin, means “renowned warrior.”
The lovely name is likely a tribute to Prince Philip, whose maternal grandfather was Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg and uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten. The name also holds great significance for William’s own father, Prince Charles, who looked to the latter as a beloved mentor. Sadly, he was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.
Interestingly, Louis is also part of Prince William’s full name of William Arthur Philip Louis and Prince George’s full name of George Alexander Louis. With this in mind, the choice confounded bookies and experts alike who had believed it would not be repeated for the third baby Cambridge.
Introducing… Louis Arthur Charles!
The beaming new parents presented their little one to the world just seven hours after his birth.
What is the royal baby’s full title?
Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge shares his second name, Arthur, with both his father and grandfather. It was always a popular choice with bettors and oddsmakers, who had also tipped Albert, James, Philip, Jack, Thomas, Edward and Alexander.
The name, which means “bear” in Celtic, is also rooted in mythology. King Arthur is a legendary figure who was head of the kingdom Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table in medieval times.
Charles, meanwhile, is a sweet nod to Louis’ paternal grandfather, the Prince of Wales. His full name is Prince Charles Philip Arthur George.
In cahoots! The royal baby name is a clear nod to Louis’ paternal grandfather, the Prince of Wales.
How do you pronounce the royal baby name?
Within minutes of William and Kate announcing the name for their perfect little prince there was one question on everyone’s lips: How do you pronounce it?
Fans of the new family-of-five were quick to voice their confusion regarding the name, with one tweeting: “I need to work on my pronunciation of Louis. I keep getting it wrong and it sounds like Lewis.”
Another noted: “So the #royalbabyname is Louis. My only problem with that is I never quite know how to pronounce that name – with or without the S?”
So, should it be pronounced ‘Lewis’ or ‘Louey’?
Following in the footsteps of previous family members who bear the name, it is pronounced with a silent ‘s’, as in ‘Louey’.
WATCH: Duchess Kate and Prince William introduce their new baby prince to the world. Post continues…
Prince Louis is now fifth in line to the British throne and was born at 11:01am on Monday the 23rd of April, tipping the scales as the heaviest royal baby in 100 years weighing a very healthy 3.8-kilograms.
Kensington Palace confirmed the Duchess was in labour at 08:23am in the morning, London time via Twitter in a statement which read: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour.”
“The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge.”
A huge congratulations once again to William and Kate on the birth of their little boy!
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