Photo: SplashNews
The littlest prince finally has a name. Mere days after Kate Middleton gave birth to her third child, (and the fifth in line to the throne), Kensington Palace shared the royal baby name in a statement released on Twitter.
“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,” the statement read.
Kate and her husband, Prince William, waited two days after welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte before publically revealing their names and four days after sharing the name of their new little prince.
The royal baby name is an unexpected one, at least for oddsmakers, who have spent the duration of Kate's pregnancy speculating over what the name of the newest member of the royal family might be. In many polls and predictions, Albert was the clear favorite. Even anxious fans thought Prince William offered up a hint when he interacted with the crowd outside of the Anzac Day of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on Apr. 25, a mere two days after they welcomed the newest addition to their family, which he attended alongside his brother, Prince Harry, and Harry's bride-to-be, Meghan Markle. When a member of the crowd asked if the name of the new royal was Alexander, William coyly replied: “Funny you should say that.”
Louis means “renowned warrior” in French and pays homage to Prince Philip, whose grandfather was Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg. Both Prince William and Prince George's full names feature the moniker Louis. (Prince William's is William Arthur Philip Louis and Prince George’s is George Alexander Louis).
The baby's middle name, Charles, is a tribute to Prince William's father, Prince Charles, while the third name, Arthur, stays true to family tradition. Not only is Arthur incorporated in Prince William's full name, but it's also his father's middle name.
The couple welcomed their new child into the world on Apr. 23 and Kate, Wills, and their newest bundle of joy were seen departing St. Mary's Hospital in London the very same day, just seven hours after Kate delivered their 8 lb, 7 oz. son. The newest member of the royal family made his official public debut, all while wrapped up in his mother's arms. Kate looked incredibly chic in a red bespoke Jenny Packham shift dress which paid homage to Princess Diana. She completed her outfit with nude pumps and her signature bouncy blowout.