There were few surprises when the names of the little prince born in July 2013 were announced. For pretty much the whole time that the then Duchess of Cambridge was expecting her first baby, there was huge speculation that if she had a boy, he would be called George. Kate and William didn’t disappoint but it turns out they were keeping just about everyone in the Royal Family happy with their choice.
George became hot favourite for the royal baby for its many links with the House of Windsor. The baby prince’s grandfather, now King Charles III, was known to be a big fan of the name as it was the one under which his own beloved grandfather had ruled. King George VI had been born as Prince Albert but chose to change his name when he unexpectedly succeeded on the Abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, in 1936.
Charles was very close to his grandfather and treasures his memory. In fact, in the years before his own accession in 2022, it was reported that he wanted to reign as King George VII. In the end, he used his own name for his regnal name but his attachment to George is deep seated.
In fact, George is one of King Charles’ own middle names – he was baptised as Charles Philip Arthur George. It was another link with his grandfather who had been christened Albert Frederick Arthur George.
And both of them can trace the name to the first king of the House of Windsor. George V reigned between 1910 and 1936 and had taken the throne when the ruling dynasty was known as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In 1917, it was George V who changed that to Windsor as anti German sentiment grew as the Great War continued. His name had become a bedrock of the House of Windsor.
He was christened George Frederick Ernest Albert and had been behind an older brother in the line of succession for almost thirty years until his sibling, Prince Albert Victor, died of flu and placed George on the route to a crown.
It’s easy to see, through the history of the House of Windsor, just why George was such a hot favourite as the name of William and Kate’s first son. However, the baby prince born in July 2013 had another direct ancestor who was a king called George.
Baby George’s great grandfather, Prince Philip, was himself a grandson of a king of Greece called George. King George I of the Hellenes, to give him his full name, reigned from 1863 until 1913. HIs fourth son, Prince Andrew, was the father of Prince Philip.
So the prince called George, born on July 22 2013, was also making a nod to another rather royal ancestor and so keeping all branches of his regal family happy in the process.
