Shropshire Star

Will Harry and Meghan opt for royal favourites when naming their baby?

Elizabeth, Victoria, Albert and Philip are among the possibilities if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex go down the classic route.

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Meghan and Harry

Tradition is an important part of the British royal family – not least when it comes to choosing a baby’s name.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may decide to keep it classic like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when naming their first-born.

Harry and Meghan
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex receive flowers from two young girls at the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat, Morocco (Facundo Arrizabalaga/PA)

But Baby Sussex is not a future monarch, and Harry and Meghan are seen as forward-thinking royals, who want to carve out their own path.

American former actress Meghan, who is the first mixed-race person in modern history to marry a senior British royal, may want to take inspiration from her own heritage.

Canadian-born Autumn Phillips, and husband Peter Phillips, opted for a non-traditional name for their daughter Savannah – the Queen’s first great-grandchild – in 2010.

Meghan has revealed that she and Harry have already been given ideas by family and friends.

During a tram ride in Melbourne on their Australia tour, the duchess told pupils from a local school: “We’ve been given a long list of names from everyone. We’re going to sit down and have a look at them.”

Royal tour of Australia – Day Three
Harry and Meghan talk to schoolchildren while riding on a tram in Melbourne (Chris Jackson/PA)

Diana is the current favourite for a girl at the bookmakers in honour of Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, while Albert is popular for a boy.

If the Sussexes opt for a more traditional approach to royal baby-naming, here are some of the royal names they might select.

– FOR A GIRL

– Victoria

Queen Victoria was previously the longest-reigning monarch in British history before she was overtaken by Elizabeth II in 2015.

She was actually named Alexandrina Victoria and as a child was nicknamed Drina, but ruled as Victoria, which she is said to have preferred.

Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria (PA)

Victoria – figurehead of a vast empire – was queen for more than 63 years, acceding to the throne in 1837.

She married Prince Albert and had nine children, but mourned Albert’s early death for the rest of her life.

The name has been a popular choice for princesses in the British royal family in tribute to Victoria.

– Alice

The Duke of Edinburgh’s mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, later becoming Princess Andrew of Greece upon marriage.

She saw little of Philip when he was a child. She fell ill and was committed to a sanatorium. She also founded an order of nuns.

Princess Alice
The Duke of Edinburgh with his mother, Princess Alice of Greece (PA)

Alice saved the life of a Greek Jewish family by hiding them from the Nazis.

The princess – who is buried in Israel – was recognised by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial as a Righteous Among the Nations, for her courage.

In later years, she went to live at Buckingham Palace and used to walk around in a nun’s habit, smoking Woodbines.

– Mary

Mary is one of the Queen’s middle names.

It was also her grandmother’s name. Princess Mary of Teck, who was born in 1867, and was married to George V, becoming Queen Mary.

Queen Mary
Queen Mary holding her great-grandson Prince Charles (PA)

Britain has seen two Marys on the throne – Mary I, known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants, and Mary II, who ruled jointly as monarch with her Dutch husband, William III.

– Alexandra

Alexandra is another of the Queen’s middle names.

It is also the name of her cousin, Princess Alexandra. The Queen’s great-grandmother was Queen Alexandra.

The Queen and Princess Alexandra
The Queen with her cousin Princess Alexandra (Nigel French/PA)

Queen Alexandra, who was born in 1844, was married to King Edward VII.

A Danish princess, she had a happy childhood and was known to her family as Alix.

She was once considered one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe.

– Elizabeth

The monarch is held in such esteem by her family that Harry and Meghan might decide to honour her by choosing Elizabeth as a first name.

The Queen
The Queen (Steve Parsons/PA)

A number of the Queen’s great-grandchildren already have Elizabeth as a middle name, including Princess Charlotte.

The Queen, who is now Britain’s longest reigning monarch, was known as Lilibet as a child.

Harry’s great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, was also an Elizabeth.

Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, ruled from 1558 until 1603.

– Amelia

Amelia was the name of one of George III’s daughters.

Born in 1783, Amelia was the youngest of the king’s 15 children.

She fell passionately in love with one of her father’s equerries, Charles Fitzroy, but was forbidden by her mother from marrying him.

She died from tuberculosis when she was 27.

George II also had a daughter called Amelia.

The name was the most popular girls’ name in England and Wales for five years from 2011, until it was knocked off the top spot by Olivia in 2016.

– Isabella

Isabella could also be a contender. It has been a popular name among foreign royals.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark’s daughter, who was born in 2007, is a Princess Isabella.

Princess Isabella
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark with her children, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella, at the London Olympics (John Stillwell/PA)

The name is a variation of Isabel, itself a variation of Elizabeth, meaning “devoted to God” in Hebrew. Nicknames could include Bella, Izzy, and Izzie.

Harry’s second cousin once removed Lord Freddie Windsor also has a daughter called Isabella.

– FOR A BOY

– Albert

Queen Victoria used to insist that the name Albert was used as a middle name by her descendants, if not a first, in honour of her much-loved consort Prince Albert.

Victoria & Albert
The Prince of Wales stands in front of The Royal Family In 1846 featuring Prince Albert (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

By choosing Albert or Bertie for a boy, Harry and Meghan would be honouring Queen Elizabeth II’s father, George VI, who was actually Albert Frederick Arthur George but always known to his family as Bertie.

Shy, stammering Bertie was forced to become king when his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated, but won the nation’s affection by standing firm in London during the Second World War.

Albert is also one of Harry’s middle names.

Arthur

This has been a popular choice as a royal middle name – for the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Louis, as well as for the Queen’s father, George VI.

Sculpture of King Arthur
A bronze sculpture inspired by the legend of King Arthur and Tintagel Castle in Cornwall (Jim Ross/PA)

The legendary King Arthur was the mythical leader of the knights of the Round Table, who supposedly lived in the 5th or 6th century.

Once popular, the name fell out of fashion but has had a revival in recent years. Former prime minister David Cameron has a son called Arthur.

– Philip

A lasting tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh might see a Baby Sussex called Philip.

The Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh (Alastair Grant/PA)

Both Charles and William have Philip as a middle name.

The Duke – known for his dedication to duty and his acerbic wit – has been married to the Queen for more than 70 years and is the nation’s longest serving consort.

– Frederick

Lord Freddie Windsor was once best known for the scandal that ensued in 1999 when he was reportedly spotted snorting cocaine.

Lord Freddie Windsor
Lord Frederick Windsor (Ian West/PA)

He is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Frederick has been a popular royal middle name, including for the Queen’s father, George VI.

– Charles

Harry may want to pay the ultimate tribute to his father.

The Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Jane Barlow/PA)

Charles is also the name of Diana, Princess of Wales’s brother, Earl Spencer.

Charles is considered an unlucky name for kings as Charles I was executed and Charles II’s reign featured the plague and the Great Fire of London.

James

James is a Stuart name.

James I, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, had been king of Scotland for 36 years as James VI when he became king of England in 1603.

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