Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales defied expectations with their naming of Princess Charlotte -Credit:Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton consciously chose not to name their daughter Charlotte after the late Queen Elizabeth II or Princess Diana for a significant reason, it has been reported.

The world eagerly awaited the announcement from the royal couple when they welcomed their baby girl on May 2, 2015, with many speculating that the names Elizabeth or Diana would be chosen in tribute to the two iconic figures of contemporary royal history.

However, the Prince and Princess of Wales decided to pay homage to both women through her middle names, settling on Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, reports the Mirror.

Now at nine years old, she bears the full title Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Princess Diana is ‘still there’ for William after she gave her middle name to Charlotte, a royal expert said ( Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images) -Credit:Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Royal commentator Richard Kay suggests that Kate and William made a deliberate choice to avoid bestowing their daughter with a first name that might lead to constant comparisons with previous royal women.

Kay, speaking in the Channel 5 documentary ‘Secrets of the Royal Palaces’, opined that this was a “wise” move, arguing that it would have otherwise placed young Charlotte in an ongoing position of scrutiny.

He commented: “I think he very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother’s name as her first name. Everything she did and said would have been compared with her. By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there.”

The nine-year-old’s full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, including a tribute to the late Queen ( Image: Getty Images) -Credit:Getty Images
Prince William, now 41, was a young lad of 15 when his mother, Princess Diana, tragically passed away in Paris on 31 August 1997.

Royal editor Emily Andrews, from the Mail on Sunday, shared insights into how Diana’s legacy continues to resonate with William: “William has spoken about the loss of his mother and the impact it had. He thinks about her pretty much every day and he wants to keep his mother’s memory alive.”

In contrast, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appeared less concerned about drawing parallels in 2021 when they chose to name their daughter Lilibet, which was the late Queen Elizabeth’s family nickname.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their daughter Lilibet, after one of Queen Elizabeth II’s nicknames ( Image: PA) NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. -Credit:PAMore
The decision turned heads and sparked debate, particularly amid claims that the Sussexes did not seek the Queen’s blessing.

However, a spokesperson for the Sussexes, who have settled in the Montecito area of Los Angeles after stepping down as senior royals, insisted that they would not have picked the name “had she not been supportive”.

They clarified: “The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called.”

Yet, this account was later challenged by Royal journalist Robert Hardman in his autobiography, where he described the late Queen as “as angry as I’d ever seen her” over assertions that she had given her consent for the name.