Kate Middleton and Prince William's 'wise' decision to protect Princess Charlotte
The couple's careful choice when Princess Charlotte was born has been dubbed 'wise' by a royal commentator for this sad reason
Kate and Prince William's “wise” decision to protect Princess Charlotte is something that many fans might not have realised.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have had a lot to consider already when it comes to raising Prince George, Charlotte and Louis. All three are still very young but they’re also the most high-profile of the late Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren and are very high up in the royal line succession. When Princess Charlotte was born, Kate and Prince William made a very important decision to help protect their only daughter and help her navigate her future as a member of the Royal Family.
Speaking previously on Channel 5’s Secrets of the Royal Palaces documentary royal expert Richard Kay described Prince William and Kate were “wise” not to give Princess Charlotte the first name “Diana”. Many fans might’ve expected the couple to call their first daughter after Princess Diana, but the expert believes this would’ve led to Princess Charlotte frequently being “compared” to her late grandmother.
Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family by Tom Quinn, | Was £20, Now £9.95 at Amazon
Tom Quinn delivers a shocking, funny and insightful account of what it's like to grow up in the Royal Family. This book brings together historical sources with testimonies from palace staff and includes tales of royal mischievousness, including anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth and Prince William.
As per The Mirror, he explained, "I think he [Prince William] 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”.
Prince William and Kate named their daughter Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, opting to honour both Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth with their choice of middle names. Richard believes that this was a clever move, as it ensured Princess Diana was represented in Princess Charlotte’s full name but without the intense comparison that might possibly have arisen from her being named Diana too.
“By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there,” Richard continued, before going on to reflect on the many other ways in which Kate and Prince William honoured Princess Diana when Charlotte was born.
As reported by The Mirror, the royal commentator claimed that Prince William “likes the symbolism” and remarked upon how the couple “chose the very church Diana was christened in herself” for Princess Charlotte’s christening.
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Kate and Prince William’s “wise” decision that could potentially have helped protect Princess Charlotte from often being compared to Princess Diana is something that Prince Harry and Meghan later mirrored.
Their only daughter Lilibet has the middle name Diana, but the Sussexes chose to nod to Queen Elizabeth’s childhood moniker for her first name instead. Both Prince William and Prince Harry also nodded to their mother with their proposals to Kate and Meghan respectively too.
"He's made it clear he wanted Diana involved on the journey that he embarked on with Kate,” Richard said in the documentary, noting that he presented Kate with his mother’s iconic sapphire engagement ring.
Describing the ring in his and Kate’s engagement interview Prince William said, “It's my mother's engagement ring so I thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all - this was my way of keeping her close to it all.”
Meanwhile, Prince Harry incorporated diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection into Meghan’s engagement ring to “make sure she’s with [them] on this crazy journey together”.
Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!
-
Amal Clooney's silver two-piece is the unexpected solution to my Christmas party outfit dilemma
Her beautiful co-ord is the perfect combination of comfort and eye-catching style
By Kerrie Hughes Published
-
Can you bake Christmas cake in an air fryer? Yes, I did - and it was so much quicker than the oven
So you can bake cupcakes, bagels, and flapjacks but how about a Christmas cake in an air fryer? Here's a step-by-step guide to the bake
By Jessica Dady Published
-
The royal Christmas tradition that Prince William and Kate Middleton could change when they’re King and Queen
The Prince and Princess of Wales might change 'a lot' of royal customs one day and a royal expert suspects this will be one of them
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Princess Charlotte in 'floods of tears' after Prince William made appearance change - but he convinced her it was 'going to be ok'
The Prince of Wales has explained how Princess Charlotte reacted when he first introduced a new change to his appearance
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Prince William shares new update on Kate Middleton since she 'completed' cancer treatment
The Prince of Wales shared an insight into the Princess's wellbeing after he travelled to Cape Town for the 2025 Earthshot Prize Awards
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Kate Middleton and Prince William's divisive sleeping set-up at Adelaide Cottage won’t be for everyone
The Prince of Wales has reportedly revealed his and Kate's sleeping set-up and they've made a decision that might divide the crowd
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Kate Middleton’s favourite dessert is a decadent classic that she enjoys at cosy Berkshire pub
The Princess of Wales is said to love an indulgent British dessert and Prince William seemingly just confirmed it's her 'favourite'
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Prince William's excuse to get out of 'competitive' game night with Middletons
Prince William is reportedly not a big fan of the Middleton family's 'favourite' fast-paced card game and he used this excuse to get out of it
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Kate and William thought Prince George would 'freak out' trying their 'adored' hobby - but he loves it!
The Prince and Princess of Wales have introduced their eldest son to an adventurous hobby and Prince George has become a big fan
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Prince Louis’ hilarious habit revealed by Prince William - and Princess Charlotte probably isn’t a huge fan
Prince William shared a relatable confession about Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during his visit to a school in Llanelli
By Emma Shacklock Published