Prince Louis' full name and special meanings explained
22 April 2024, 15:39
Prince Louis is the third child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and was given a special name rooted in royal history when he was born in 2018.
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Prince Louis was welcomed into the world by parents Prince William and Kate Middleton, the future King and Queen, on 23rd April 2018 at the Lindo Wing in London, becoming the third child of the Prince and Princess of Wales and fourth in line to the throne.
Despite his royal title and position, Prince Louis has quickly become known as the cheeky younger brother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, making headlines with his funny faces and hilarious reactions at royal events.
When he was born to William and Kate, he was given the full name of Prince Louis Arthur Charles, a moniker full of meaningful nods and historic tradition.
The first name, Louis (which originally means 'famous warrior' or 'famous in battle') came as a surprise to royalists when it was announced in April 2018, with many ruling out the name as a potential moniker as it is already Prince George and Prince William's middle names.
Despite having a vast number of baby names to choose from the royal archives, the Prince and Princess of Wales settled on the name Louis, a name believed to be a direct nod to the late Lord Louis Mountbatten.
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Lord Louis Mountbatten was an unofficial mentor to King Charles III, and his moniker was given as a middle name to William when he was born as tribute, a gesture the Prince and Princess of Wales have appear to have continued.
Lord Mountbatten was the great-grandson of Queen Victoria and also shared relations to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Sadly, he was murdered in 1979 alongside two others by an IRA bomb.
Royal historian Robert Lacey previously told PEOPLE: “It shows the romance of this name associated with the hero and family mentor whom William never met — his father’s ‘honorary grandfather.’"
This means that Prince William, Prince George and Prince Louis all share the name Louis in one way, which we're sure wasn't a coincidence and represents a connection between the boys in the family.
It appears this connection travels to Prince Louis' first middle name, Arthur, which he shares with father Prince William and grandfather King Charles III. The name Arthur is originally believed to mean "the eagle" and "strong man."
The second middle name, Charles, is a more obvious tribute and was chosen by William and Kate to honour King Charles III, who ascended the throne when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on 8th September 2022.
While these names hold a great amount of historic meaning to the Royal Family, William and Kate have been known to give their children nicknames (Princess Charlotte is often called Lottie) and Prince Louis is no different.
In May 2023, Kate Middleton let slip the sweet nickname she has for her youngest during a day out with her family to the Upton Scout Group in Slough as part of King Charles' Big Help Out initiative - Lou Bug!
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