London : The newborn Princess of Cambridge was on Monday named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana by Prince William and his wife Kate, in line with the public opinion and bookies’ favourite prediction.
There was widespread speculation that ‘Diana’ would be included in memory of William’s late mother, the Princess of Wales. Charlotte, which is French in origin, is the feminine version of Charles. It is an acknowledgement of her grandfather, the Prince of Wales. Diana’s closest friend Rosa Monckton immediately tweeted: ‘‘Diana’s spirit lives on in her sons, and now her name lives on in her granddaughter.’’
William has previously spoken of his deep respect for his father Charles and the amount of time the prince spends on charitable work. He also places great importance on honouring his mother’s memory, having already used Diana’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring when he proposed to Kate. Royal aides said that the baby’s second names were self-evident and would ‘speak for themselves’.
In a way, this is the daughter Diana longed for: Finally Kate has fulfilled William’s mother’s dreams of having a little princess, reports Daily Mail.
According to the Mail, when, early in the pregnancy with their second child, Diana had an amniocentesis test, which checks for abnormalities in the foetus, she discovered the sex of the baby. But she decided not to tell Charles, as she was afraid he would be disappointed. Instead, she concealed from him the fact that she was carrying another boy.
‘‘Oh, it’s a boy,’’ was Charles’s curt observation, when finally Harry was born in September 1984. ‘‘And he’s even got rusty hair.’’ This was the hair colour of most of the Spencers – Diana’s family.
After the arrival of the newborn, the Prince of Wales reportedly went off to play polo. At that moment, Diana told friends, ‘‘Something inside me died.’’ What never died perhaps was her own yearning to have a daughter. She even clung to the notion that if she were able to give Charles a daughter it might yet save their marriage.
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