Royal couple names Britain’s new princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Britain’s Prince William carries his newborn daughter as they leave the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in central London on May 2.
Reporting from London — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their new baby daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, it was announced Monday.
The child, who was born Saturday weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces, will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana,†Kensington Palace said.
Charlotte had been bookmakers’ top choice, recently overtaking longtime favorite Alice.
Charlotte has French origins and is a feminine form of Charles, the name of the newborn’s grandfather, Prince Charles. It is also the middle name of Pippa Middleton, the duchess’ younger sister.
Elizabeth is the name of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and her late mother. It is also Catherine’s middle name.
Giving the newborn the name Diana is a tribute to her father Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Charlotte is fourth in the line of succession to the throne, following Charles, William and the newborn’s older brother, Prince George.
The duke and duchess reportedly told the 89-year-old queen in person before making the name public. There is no royal protocol that requires the monarch to know beforehand, but William is close to his grandmother and wanted to do so out of respect, according to reports.
Catherine, the duchess, left the private Lindo Ward of St. Mary’s Hospital just 12 hours after arriving there in labor Saturday morning and spent Sunday in Kensington Palace, the couple’s official residence in London.
They were visited by Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her sister also visited the new addition to the family, the palace said.
William and Catherine have since traveled to their private country residence, Anmer Hall, an 18th century Georgian country manor on the queen’s Sandringham Estate, where they intend to raise their family as far away from the public eye as possible.
Prince Harry, William’s brother and an officer in the British army, will have to wait a few more weeks to meet his niece as he is currently on deployment, attached to the Australian army.
“She is absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to meet her,†he said, according to Kensington Palace.
To celebrate the birth of the new princess, royal gun salutes were fired out simultaneously across London on Monday afternoon. Soldiers on horseback rode out in procession and 41 volleys rang out in Hyde Park along with a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.
The Royal Artillery Band also entertained the crowds watching in the park with the Stevie Wonder hit “Isn’t She Lovely.â€
Boyle is a special correspondent.
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