The subtle meaning of Princess Charlotte's name that honours four iconic royals

Princess Charlotte was christened with two special middle names - and even her first name is a nod to a relative

Princess Charlotte attends the coronation of King Charles
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Charlotte's name has a sweet meaning and subtly honours three of her most iconic royal relatives. 

While Princess Charlotte is said to simply go by the name Charlotte Wales in everyday life, her full name is actually a nod to four separate royal relatives that hold a very special place in the hearts of the Wales family. 

When Princess Charlotte, who is third in the royal line of succession, was born on May 2nd 2015, she was christened Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. 

Of course, it's clear that there is a tribute to her late grandmother, Princess Diana, in her moniker. Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis were never able to meet their grandmother, as she passed away after a Paris car crash in 1997, when Prince William was just 15-years-old.

It was predicted by royal fans and experts alike that William would honour his mother with his first-born daughter's name - and Prince Harry did the same when it came to his and Meghan Markle's first daughter, Princess Lilibet Diana. 

Princess Charlotte and King Charles at his coronation in May 2023

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Charlotte is named after her grandpa, the King, too, although this one might not be instantly obvious to royal fans. Charlotte is, of course, the female version of Charles. 

Naturally, the Prince and Princess of Wales also decided to honour the long-reigning monarch and Charlotte's great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, when naming their daughter, giving her Elizabeth as a middle name along with Diana. 

You may not know that the name Elizabeth connects Princess Charlotte to both her mother and her grandmother, too, as Princess Catherine of Wales and Carole Middleton have the same middle name of Elizabeth. 


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Princess Charlotte and the Queen on Buckingham Palace balcony

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Along with the honorary regal connections in her full name, Princess Charlotte is known to have quite a few special nicknames as well. 

Thanks to her brave, confident and bold character, Charlotte reportedly earned the nickname Warrior Princess from her classmates at school. 

"Apparently she earned that nickname because obviously, she is a Princess, but she’s quite a tomboy," royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight. "She loves climbing trees and she’s very much an adventurer, she was quite known for her feisty personality."

Prince William has a much more dainty name for his daughter, though, having been heard on camera calling his little girl "Mignonette", which means "small" or "delicate" in French. 

Caitlin Elliott
News Editor

Caitlin is News Editor for woman&home, covering all things royal, celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Caitlin started on local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree. She also worked in Fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Arcadia's Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role.