Prince George Alexander Louis: Kate and William reveal royal baby's name

The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge have announced their
newborn son is to be called
George Alexander Louis. He will
be known as His Royal Highness
Prince George of Cambridge.
The announcement at 6.20pm
showed the couple have chosen
to stick with very traditional
royal names. There have already
been six British monarchs called
George – the last being the
Queen's father, George VI. Louis
is also a favourite and was the
name of Lord Mountbatten, the
uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The announcement comes a day
after the duchess left hospital
and two days after she gave
birth, and hours after the Queen
met her great-grandson for the
first time.
George was the most popular
name with betting firms William
Hill, Coral and Paddy Power.
James was also a favourite with
punters, with Alexander, Henry,
Louis, Richard and Arthur the
next most popular choices.
It was widely expected that
William and Kate would not
wander far from convention and
select anything too outlandish
for a prince who is likely to reign
one day and whose name could
symbolise an era.
The naming has happened
quickly by historical royal
standards. Prince George's
father was not named for a
week, and it took a month for
the name of the baby's paternal
grandfather, Prince Charles, to
be announced.
Earlier, for the first time in
more than a century, a reigning
monarch met a great-grandchild
born in direct succession to the
crown when the Queen was
introduced to Prince George.
She made the short journey from
Buckingham Palace to
Kensington Palace, where the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
and their son had spent their
first night at home as a new
family.
Not since the birth in 1894 of the
eldest son of the future George
V and Queen Mary – the future
Edward VIII, who later abdicated
– in the twilight of Queen
Victoria's reign has such an
encounter occurred. Though
Wednesday's meeting lasted just
30 minutes – before the start of
the Queen's traditional summer
break at Balmoral on Friday – it
adds another footnote to royal
history.
Arriving in a dark green
Bentley, the 87-year-old
monarch was alone: the Duke of
Edinburgh was at Windsor,
where he is still convalescing
following exploratory abdominal
surgery last month. She had
previously said she was thrilled
with the safe delivery of her first
great-grandson, who was born at
4.24pm on Monday weighing 8lb
6oz in the private Lindo wing at
St Mary's hospital at Paddington
in west London.
Among other visitors received by
the Cambridges was Prince
Harry, the baby's uncle, who is
now bumped down to fourth in
the line of succession. He has
previously said: "I can't wait to
be an uncle."
The duchess's sister, Pippa
Middleton, visited on Tuesday
night shortly after mother and
baby were discharged from
hospital.
After presenting their newborn
to the world in a photocall on the
hospital steps on Tuesday,
William and Kate will now seek
some privacy. After the Queen's
visit, the duke, duchess and
infant prince left Kensington
Palace for Bucklebury,
Berkshire, where the Middletons
have a manor house.
A Kensington Palace spokesman
said: "This is now a private and
quiet time for them to get to
know their son." Details of the
meeting with the Queen,
therefore, are unlikely to be
made public.