Princess Charlotte, Prince William’s daughter, is third in line to the throne after her father and elder brother Prince George. The nine-year-old princess, born on May 2, 2015 at St.Mary’s Hospital in London, attends Lambrook School in Berkshire with her siblings, Prince George and Prince Louise.
Though widely known simply as Charlotte, her full name carries significant Royal heritage—it’s Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Her first name is the female version of Charles, alluding to her grandfather, the King. It could also be a nod to her mum’s family, as Catherine’s sister Pippa’s middle name is also Charlotte.
Her second name, Elizabeth, is a tribute to her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, while Diana is a sweet nod to William’s mum, and Charlotte’s grandmother, Princess Diana.
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When Charlotte was born, a statement was released, with the blessing of the late Queen Elizabeth, which read: “The [then] Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.”
At the time of her birth, Simone Simmons, a close friend of Princess Diana’s, told Vanity Fair: “Diana would be over the moon. It’s William’s way of honouring his mother’s memory. A way of making sure Diana’s legacy lives on. This way she will never be forgotten. When Diana was alive, William promised her when he was King [that] Diana would have her HRH restored. This is his way of doing it.”, reports the Mirror.
At home, Kate affectionately calls her daughter ‘Lottie’. During a visit to Windsor Park stadium in Northern Ireland in 2019, influencer Laura-Ann Barr, who posts under @all.thats.pretty, revealed that the Princess of Wales referred to her daughter as Lottie rather than Charlotte during their conversation.
It’s believed that this nickname is also what Charlotte’s schoolmates call her – ‘Lottie Wales’, which references the titles bestowed upon her parents by King Charles upon the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Katie Nicholl, Royal correspondent for Vanity Fair, reports that William and Catherine have referred to Charlotte as the “Warrior Princess” due to her “feisty” personality. Furthermore, it has been mentioned that William affectionately refers to his daughter as “mignonette”, a sweet French term of endearment.
Should she eventually become Queen, Charlotte can pick from any of her names to use in her official title. University College London’s Constitutional Unit explained in 2022, ahead of King Charles III’s Coronation, that the new monarch is “free to choose his own regnal title”.
The unit explains: “King Edward VII chose Edward as his regnal title, although hitherto he had been known by his first name of Albert. King Edward VIII also chose Edward as his regnal title, although he was known to his family and friends as David.”
By this precedent, Princess Charlotte could potentially take the throne as the UK’s first Queen Diana, or she might choose to honour her late great-grandmother by becoming Queen Elizabeth III.