Kate Middleton and Prince William’s kids are the highest-ranking children within the British Royal Family. After their father, Prince William, George, Charlotte, and Louis are next in the line of succession –at least for now. Of course, George’s siblings will be knocked down the list once he has his own children. Given their potential claim to the throne, it was essential that the siblings had names that exuded royalty and status and also commanded respect. Thus, the George, Charlotte, and Louis monikers were born. However, the name-picking process wasn’t exactly easy for the royals, who knew how high the stakes were when it came to naming their royal babies.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s only daughter, Princess Charlotte, full name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, bears the names of both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. However, there’s reportedly a good reason why the royal parents didn’t just name her Diana from the get-go. During “Secrets of the Royal Palace,” royal expert Richard Kay suggested that William and Kate didn’t want Charlotte to walk in the shadows of her famous grandmother. “I think he very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother’s name as her first name,” said Kay (via Daily Record). “Everything she did and said would have been compared with her. By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there.”

Although William and Kate obviously settled on the perfect name for their princess, she doesn’t always go exactly by her formal name. According to Express, Charlotte’s classmates at her school, Lambrook School in Berkshire, call her Charlotte Wales, referencing the family’s transition to using the last name Wales after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Prior to that, William’s and his family’s last name was officially Cambridge, referencing their previous royal titles as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. As the outlet also noted, Charlotte sometimes goes by the adorable name Lottie or Lottie Wales, a name given to her by her mother, Kate. 

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