Royal princess: What significance do her names hold?
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed Monday that Britain's Prince William his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have .
Born in St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital in central London weighing 8 pounds and 3 ounces, Charlotte's official title is 鈥楬er Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.鈥�
"You have to remember they are naming the future king or queen,鈥� prior to Prince George鈥檚 birth in 2013. 鈥� So you won't want to see something silly ... We will see something traditional ... Will and Kate by nature, are just very traditional.鈥�
Princess Charlotte鈥檚 name is clearly a nod to both family and tradition.
Charlotte, a feminized form of the name Charles, is a tribute to the baby's girl's grandfather, Charles, Prince of Wales. Likewise, Elizabeth is a fitting middle name, as her 89-year-old great grandmother as the longest-reining monarch in British history this year. Victoria was queen for 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days.
The baby鈥檚 second middle name, Diana, is a tribute to William鈥檚 mother, who died in a car crash when he was 15. Baby name speculators were not surprised by this, as William frequently honors his mother's memory 鈥� Kate鈥檚 engagement ring is Diana鈥檚 from her marriage to Charles.
The names honor the Middleton family as well. Catherine's聽middle name is Elizabeth and her sister Pippa鈥檚 is Charlotte.
There is a long history of royal Charlottes in Britain. Queen Charlotte was the wife of King George III, who reigned from 1760-1820, a mother of 15 children, and a great patron of the arts. There have also been several other princess Charlottes throughout history. Notably, Queen Charlotte鈥檚 first daughter, born in 1766, also bore the name, and George IV named his only daughter Charlotte in 1796.
Many have been betting on the royal baby鈥檚 name for weeks, and bookmakers have paid out $1.5 million to bettors across the UK. While Charlotte has been the favorite since the birth, other hopefuls included Alice, Victoria, Elizabeth, Diana, and Olivia.
, following her grandfather, Charles, Prince of Wales; her father, William, Duke of Cambridge; and her older brother Prince George of Cambridge.
While Britain has had several queens, a allowed for the throne to pass in order of birth, regardless of gender. Prior to the ruling, sons were preferred as monarchs, and women would be named queen only if there were no male heirs 鈥� if Queen Elizabeth II had a younger brother, the crown would have passed to him.
