Prince Louis Could Receive Big Gesture When Prince George Is King
Prince George will one day be king, as he is currently third in line to the British throne. A constitutional expert has found one way how George could honour his little brother Prince Louis when he becomes monarch.
Prince George, 7, is the eldest child of Prince William and Kate Middleton. At the moment, he is third in line to the British throne, with his father William and grandfather Charles being ahead of him. When he does become king, there is one way in which he could choose to honour his brother Prince Louis with a touching gesture.
When they ascend to the throne, the British sovereign is free to choose a name under which they will reign, their regal name, and there are plenty of examples of kings and queens of old doing this.
The most recent example was Prince George’s great-great-grandfather, Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI. Most of the royal family called him ‘Bertie, from Albert, but when he got the throne he picked a different name to rule by.
A constitutional expert explained why some sovereigns decide to go with different regal names. He explained for Express.co.uk: What regnal name a monarch chooses to call themselves, and their reasons for doing so is very much personal to the monarch in question.
“Recent reigns highlight this fact. Victoria’s first name was Alexandrina, yet she chose as her regnal name the one she had been known by all her life.
“Conversely, her son had been known as Bertie (Albert) all of his life, after his father, but upon his accession, and to distance himself from both his parents, he chose the more familiar kingly name of Edward.
“His grandson, despite being known to family and friends as David, chose Edward VIII upon becoming king; and after his abdication, and to ensure a sense of continuity, his brother Prince Albert, known to all as Bertie, chose to be known as George VI.”
Considering the fact that there have been six King Georges in recent British history, it is very possible that Prince George might want to go with a different name, instead of going as King George VII.
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Prince George’s full name is George Alexander Louis, with each of them being a viable option for a regal name, especially King Louis, which would be a touching tribute to his little brother.
Mr MacMarthanne explains how the custom of picking regnant names is still very much alive.
He said: “Even our present Queen, in the immediate aftermath of being told of her father’s death, was asked by which regnal name she would be known by, from her own names she could have been alternatively Alexandra or Mary, or indeed any name of her choosing.
“With these practices in mind, there has been speculation that Prince Charles might choose the regnal name George to honour his grandfather out of respect to his grandmother the late Queen Mother.
“Likewise with Prince William’s accession he too will have the opportunity to choose his regnal name but it might not necessarily be the one we have come to know him by.”
Mr MacMarthanne also notes that regal names don’t often veer from tradition, so in most cases, the names are the same as they have been throughout history. Taking this into consideration, it seems unlikely that Prince George will go with Louis as his regal name.
Mr MacMarthanne added: “What is clear though is that the names our queens and kings choose have invariably been used before and are familiar.
“Unless seeking to buck this trend, and with neither Scotland, England, or the United Kingdom having had a King Arthur, Philip or Louis before, the likelihood would be that William will become William V.”
It is expected that Prince George will inherit the dozen royal titles that his father Prince William has when he becomes King.
When William does become King, the dukedom of Cornwall and the dukedom of Rothesay will automatically go to Prince George, as they are always to the heir apparent.