It's official: the royal baby has a name. Since the young prince's arrival earlier this week, there has been a great deal of eager anticipation for the name announcement. Speculation has run rampant, and everyone has a guess or two. There's even money on the line for some people. With several days passed since Kate Middleton gave birth to her third child, the time is finally here. Without further ado, here's the name of the royal baby: Louis Arthur Charles.
The bundle of joy will also be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge. Louis will live his life as the fifth in line to the British throne, after his grandfather, Prince Charles, his father, Prince William, and his two older siblings, Prince George (4) and Princess Charlotte (2). CNN got the name drop. It's safe to say Prince Louis wasn't an expected choice for the royal heir. Several people thought the newborn child would be named Prince Albert and Prince Arthur; both were neck-and-neck as the most popular pick. Well, the latter is partially true. The number one choice initially was Princess Mary, but when the baby was born a boy, such expectations were thrown out the royal window. So, if you picked Louis, congratulations! Today is your lucky day.
Louis is not a name typically associated with British royal pedigree. In fact, it's more commonly associated with French royalty. But there is a reason why this name was chosen, particularly as it relates to their royal family. Louis was the name of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was the uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth's husband. Louis Mountbatten was met with tragedy, however, when he was killed by a bomb in 1979 that was placed by the Irish Republican Army. He became the last Viceroy of India, which is the head of the British colonial administration. He was 79.
Prince Louis was safely delivered in London in St. Mary's Hospital on Monday morning at 1101 hours. The baby news was revealed by the Kensington Palace, which also said the baby was 8 lbs., 7 oz. and that Prince William was there by Kate Middleton's side during the delivery. Prince George and Princess Charlotte were either in school or inside the Kensington Palace. The rest of the royal family was said to be "delighted" by the baby's arrival.
While the baby's name and sex came as a surprise to many, it was speculated by a few people that the royal baby would, indeed, be a little boy. Kate Middleton had a pattern of wearing blue outfits to different press-friendly events, seemingly hinting at the baby's gender. Those predictions turned out to be accurate, in some way or another, with this week's news. We wish Prince William and Kate Middleton many blessings with the arrival of their newest child, Prince Louis!
