It's Little Louis! William & Kate's Touching Tribute To Philip

The name of the littlest royal is dear to both the queen and her husband.

- Judy Kean

It was a name very few people picked. Louis, after all, is one of Prince George’s middle names, so it seemed unlikely that it would be chosen by Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for their second son.

But clearly it’s a favourite with the couple, who announced via Twitter that their new wee boy was called Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge. However, they took four days to break the news – compared with two for his siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte – which suggests that maybe there was quite some deliberation over the suitability of the name Louis, which also happens to be one of William’s middle names.

It is doubtful that there would have been an issue with getting it approved by the Queen. For starters, she has recycled names herself – she called her third son Edward, despite already having given her second son the names Andrew Albert Christian Edward. And she clearly likes the name Louis – she opted for it as a middle name for Edward (along with Antony and Richard).

However, it is Prince Philip, the baby’s great-grandfather, who will be overwhelmed the most by the choice of name. It is believed to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was both Philip’s uncle, and a second cousin, once removed, of the Queen (92).