When Prince George becomes King, he may change his first name in favour of one of his middle names as per royal tradition.
- As per royal tradition, Prince George may change his name when he becomes the reigning monarch.
- However, he could also retain his name as it is steeped in historical meaning and would honour many monarchs that came before him.
- In other royal news, Why Kate Middleton and Prince William are always seen holding their children's hands.
Prince George may only just have celebrated his tenth birthday, but his future is set in stone as he sits second in the royal line of succession and will one day be the King of England.
While his accession to the throne seems a long way off, with him and his siblings not yet even being known by the royal titles they will receive when their dad becomes King, speculation surrounding what sort of monarch George will be is already ripe.
The royal youngster is already taking his duty very seriously and has reportedly 'stepped up' as he realised the family have ‘lost Uncle Harry’ and wants to help out. His behaviour is already showing that he will be a brilliant leader for the country, but what name will he go by when he does take the throne?
The Royal Family have some strange rules to follow, including one outdated rule that means Princess Charlotte may not get same royal titles as her brothers when they grow up, but one ancient unwritten rule means that George may go by a different name when he takes the throne.
As per tradition, members of the Firm often change their first name when they become monarch to pay tribute to monarchs before them. The new name is called the monarch's Regnal name and is changed upon their coronation.
When King Charles became King, it was thought he would rename himself using one of his middle names to be known as King Arthur or King Philip. However, he ultimately decided to retain his birth name as, according to Keith Roy, a spokesperson for the Monarchist League of Canada, “He's quite comfortable in his own skin, his own name and his own identity."
Similarly, Queen Elizabeth II kept her first name when she was coronated as, according to reports in The Express, her actual name was regal enough.
According to myriad royal experts, Prince George will likely keep his own name for a few reasons. The first is that his name is already steeped in royal history and would honour the six King Georges that came before him.
The second is because royals are increasingly becoming household names as TV and social media coverage bring them into people homes on a regular basis. Changing an heir's name could be confusing for the public when they have already been known by a different name for such a long period of time.
Another reason George may keep his name is to honour his great-great-grandparents, King Charles grandparents and Queen Elizabeth's parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother. In 2005, a former Buckingham Palace press spokesman, Dickie Arbiter, told the BBC that King Charles himself was toying with the idea of using the name George to do just that.
He said, "It would not just be a tribute to his grandfather, but a sort of loving memory to his late grandmother, whom he absolutely adored. When she died in 2002, he was absolutely devastated."
If Prince George does chose another title, he may opt for King Alexander or King Louis, which are both his middle names, though the former is more likely as the second name is also that of his younger brother.
