20 August 2023 , 11:43
550
0
When it comes to naming a new royal baby, it is traditional for there to be several historical and familial nods.
While the names of several of the late Queen's great-grandchildren have become far less formal in the last decade, they still contain many sweet links to their royal background. Incredibly, nine of the late monarch's descendants are named in her honour, including Princess Charlotte, Princess Anne and Princess Lilibet. Of course, the name can also be attributed to the Queen Mother or to Queen Elizabeth I.
When she was born in 2015, it was announced that the Prince and Princess of Wales had named their daughter Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Similarly, when Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their daughter in 2021, she was named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the couple didn't wish to deny their children their "birth right" and would start using their Prince and Princess titles.
As a result, Charlotte and Lilibet are both named after Queen Elizabeth II (with Lilibet's name being the Queen's famous family nickname) their late grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. Other members of the family to be named after the former monarch include Princess Beatrice (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary), Zara Tindall (Zara Anne Elizabeth) Isla Phillips (Isla Elizabeth) and Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary).
Looking far ahead into the future, Princess Charlotte would be entitled to inherit a very senior title when Prince William is King. In the years to come, Charlotte could be styled as The Princess Royal - the current title of Princess Anne.
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'
The Princess Royal is typically the eldest daughter of the monarch but the inheritance of the title is not guaranteed if the previous holder is still alive. When King George V died, his daughter Mary was still the Princess Royal, meaning that when King George VI came to the throne his daughter Princess Elizabeth could not inherit the title even though she would have been eligible to hold it.
Unlike other styles, when the Princess Royal dies the title is not automatically inherited by her eldest daughter, it instead goes back to the monarch to bestow it upon their own daughter, if they have one.