Royal Christening: Prince Louis of Cambridge

Yesterday the public finally got a glimpse of the newest addition to the Cambridge family. Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born on April 23rd at St. Mary's Hospital Paddington and has not been seen since his parents left hospital with him on the day he was born. His older siblings, George and Charlotte attended his christening and so we got the chance to see for the Cambridge's as a family of five for the first time.

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Prince Louis, at eleven weeks old slept peacefully in his mother's arms, unfazed by the special occasion. One of the few times he will have a good excuse for sleeping through a royal event. Like his older brother, Prince George, his christening took place in the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace. Their sister Princess Charlotte was christened in St. Mary Magdalene, Sandringham. A location with special meaning for her father as it was the same church her grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales was christened in 1961.

The Chapel Royal has seen many special royal events. Most recently, Meghan Markle (now Duchess of Sussex) was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England prior to her wedding. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was confirmed there in 2011.

It has seen its share of weddings, including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840. Their eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal married Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (Later Emperor Friedrich III) in 1858.  Victoria and Albert's grandson, Prince George, Duke of York married Princess May of Teck in 1893. They would go on to become King George V and Queen Mary.

This location also has special meaning for Prince William as it is where his mother's coffin rested prior to her funeral in 1997.

© Marilyn Braun 2018

 Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal name sharing strikes again: Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge

By Allan Warren from Wikimedia Commons

The new prince of Cambridge finally has a name!

 Prince Louis Arthur Charles and he will be formally known as HRH Prince Louis of Cambridge. Unlike Arthur, Louis was not a forerunner for baby names and it took royal watchers by surprise. Myself included.

Louis is a French name, meaning Famous Warrior. It was far more popular in the French royal family than the British one. Indeed, eighteen kings of France have borne the name. Not so for British ones. It is likely the baby was given the name in honour of Lord Louis, 1st Earl of Mountbatten, a formative figure in Prince Charles' life. He was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.

However, the name is still in the royal family. So far, the only member to have it as a first name is Louis Arthur Nicholas Felix, the youngest son of Lord Nicholas Windsor. Otherwise it is usually used as a middle name. It is shared by the following people:

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge

Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge

Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex

Lord Frederick Michael George David Louis of Kent, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Albert Louis Philip Edward Windsor, older son of Lord Nicholas Windsor

It is also used for females, mainly as a middle name. Only one member of the family holds it as a first name: Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

By Arnaud Bouissou [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

The other names for Prince Louis are Arthur and Charles. Arthur means noble and courageous and it is more frequently included as a middle name. The name is shared with his father and grandfather and a notable Arthur was the Duke of Connaught, favourite son of Queen Victoria.

As with Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, William and Catherine are paying tribute to a grandparent, Charles means 'free-man' or 'manly' and several members of the royal family have it as a middle name.


© Marilyn Braun 2018

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.