Princess Kate Middleton Had a Different Name Picked Out for Eldest Son Prince George

Princess Kate and Prince William became parents with the birth of Prince George in July 2013. However, the couple’s eldest son was nearly named Prince Alexander, according to a new book.

Russell Myers, the author of the upcoming book William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, explained that the Prince and Princess of Wales “spent hours” deciding on a name for their firstborn.

Kate, 44, wanted to name her son Alexander, or Alexandra if the baby was a girl. However, William, 43, would have wanted to honor his late mother, Princess Diana, with the girl baby’s name, according to an excerpt published in The Mirror on Tuesday, February 17.

“The couple had been given a book of baby names by a close friend, which they spent hours thumbing through — they often ended up in fits of laughter after one or the other had presented a more left-field suggestion,” Myers wrote

George Alexander Louis was born July 22, 2013. George was also the name of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, while Alexander may be an homage to the late Queen, whose middle name was Alexandra.

The pair later welcomed daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, on May 2, 2015, and son Louis Arthur Charles on April 23, 2018.

William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story is due out March 10.