The names of modern-day royals are fascinating, not so much in their rarity or originality, but rather, in the constraints in which they often exist. The history of royal families is well known in their home countries, and in some cases, like Britain’s Windsors, throughout the world. This history and royal protocol often dictate what names can and should be considered for a baby. And it definitely puts pressure on royal parents to not give their children the modern, trendy names that others of their generation may love. In fiction, we can imagine a Prince Rafferty or Queen Adeline, but in Buckingham Palace? You’re more likely to find James, George, Elizabeth, or Mary.
This stringent code of names, however, loosens up the further a royal is in the line of succession. Case in point, Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank, who just had their first child on February 9, 2021. Their son’s name was announced a few days after his birth: August Philip Hawke Brooksbank. Cousins George, Charlotte, and Louis, third, fourth, and fifth in the line of succession in the British royal family, all have names of past monarchs. August, on the other hand, is much more modern and fitting with what other millennial parents are choosing these days. We love their pick, which has enough traditional flare to make it “appropriate” for royalty. In fact, it was our choice for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, back when they were first expecting son Archie Harrison.
Yet Princess Eugenie’s baby’s name still has tons of royal connections. The most obvious is his middle name, Philip, taken from his 99-year-old great grandfather, Prince Philip. This honor name feels even more meaningful now, as Prince Philip is currently ailing and hospitalized. August has its royal connection as well, as Augustus was the middle name of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s beloved husband. (Second middle name, Hawke, is a family name in the Brooksbank family.)
And Baby August isn’t the only new royal baby or baby-to-come in the House of Windsor. Days after Baby Brooksbank was announced, Princess Eugenie’s cousin Harry and wife Meghan announced that they were expecting their second child. Then there is older cousin Zara Tindall (Princess Anne’s daughter), who is expecting her third child with husband Mike, to join sisters Mia and Lena.
What names will these royals choose? We won’t know for a while, but that won’t stop us from speculating! Stay tuned for our picks, and let us know yours. What do you hope the Sussexes and Tindalls will name their royal baby bundles?