Queen Elizabeth revived tradition with Princess Anne's name after it was 'turned down' for another senior royal

Choosing the perfect name for a baby can be a challenge for anyone and for the Royal Family, there's the added pressure of knowing that fans around the world have been making predictions for months. They tend to stick with very traditional British names and although Princess Anne's moniker is certainly that, in one way it was reportedly still a surprising choice from Queen Elizabeth.

In his book, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother: The Official Biography, royal author William Shawcross reportedly claimed that there was a letter written by the Queen Mother - who at the time was known as the Duchess of York - to her mother-in-law Queen Mary following the birth of her second daughter on August 21, 1930.

Writing to her about her daughter, the Queen Mother allegedly wrote, "I am very anxious to call her Ann Margaret, as I think that Ann of York sounds pretty, and Elizabeth and Ann go so well together. I wonder what you think?"

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She is said to have added, "Lots of people have suggested Margaret, but it has no family links really on either side, and besides she will always be getting mixed up with Margaret the nurserymaid."

However, Queen Mary, along with King George V, also supposedly wished for their new granddaughter to be named Margaret. This is said to have been as a nod to Margaret of Scotland.

Ultimately, the new royal baby was christened Princess Margaret Rose on October 30, 1930 at Buckingham Palace. When Margaret's sister Queen Elizabeth welcomed her own daughter in August 1950, though, she used Anne for her.

Princess Anne was born at Clarence House on August 15, 1950. While her first name might have been inspired by her grandparents, her middle names also honored them more directly. The Princess Royal's full name is Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise.

"Elizabeth is a very popular middle name for younger members of the Royal Family," says woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock. "Princess Charlotte has it as a middle name, and so do Sienna and Athena Mapelli Mozzi and Lena Tindall. For all of them, their middle name can be seen as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth."

She adds, "It's a lovely nod to a beloved family member and for Princess Anne, it was not just linked to her mother, but her grandmother. The Queen Mother was also called Elizabeth and Anne's other names were just as meaningful."

Alice was the name of Princess Anne's paternal grandmother, Prince Philip’s mom, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Whilst Louise is the feminine form of Louis, which could have been a subtle tribute to Philip's uncle Louis, Lord Mountbatten.

While Princess Anne was the first royal in quite some time to use this particular first name, it has quite the pedigree within British history. Queen Anne was a reigning Queen who also became the first Queen of Great Britain and Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous English Queen Consorts.

While it might have fallen out of favor somewhat before the arrival of the Princess Royal in 1950, it’s had a resurgence since. Princess Anne’s two children - Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips - have used it as a middle name for two of their own kids.