By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff Posted Jul 25, 2013 9:54 AM CDT
(Newser) – Now that we know the royal baby’s name—the wee prince has been dubbed George Alexander Louis—it’s time to look at the meaning behind the name. The BBC reports:
George: St. George is the patron saint of England, and six Georges have sat on the throne, including George III, who was king during the American Revolution. Interestingly, he was mentally ill, and his son of the same name was a drunken, gluttonous womanizer (though he did have some positive qualities as well). George V declared war on Germany during WWI, and George VI (the current queen’s father) was portrayed by Colin Firth in The King’s Speech.
Alexander: No king of England has borne this name, but three Scottish kings have, and of course there was “Alexander the Great” over in Greece. The Queen’s first middle name is Alexandra.
Louis: There have been at least 17 French kings named “Louis.” Also, Louis Mountbatten, uncle to Prince Philip, was killed on his yacht in a bomb attack on the IRA. His prince father, also named Louis, was Prince William’s great-great-grandfather, and Wills bears “Louis” as one of his middle names.
“George” sort of symbolizes the monarchy, the Herald Sun notes, and was the bookmakers’ favorite throughout Kate’s pregnancy. Many other members of the royal family have carried the name somewhere in their long monikers, including Prince Charles and Edward VIII.