Kate Middleton and Prince William's kids are the highest-ranking children within the British Royal Family. After their father, Prince William, George, Charlotte, and Louis are next in the line of succession –at least for now. Of course, George's siblings will be knocked down the list once he has his own children. Given their potential claim to the throne, it was essential that the siblings had names that exuded royalty and status and also commanded respect. Thus, the George, Charlotte, and Louis monikers were born. However, the name-picking process wasn't exactly easy for the royals, who knew how high the stakes were when it came to naming their royal babies.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's only daughter, Princess Charlotte, full name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, bears the names of both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. However, there's reportedly a good reason why the royal parents didn't just name her Diana from the get-go. During "Secrets of the Royal Palace," royal expert Richard Kay suggested that William and Kate didn't want Charlotte to walk in the shadows of her famous grandmother. "I think he very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother's name as her first name," said Kay (via Daily Record). "Everything she did and said would have been compared with her. By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there."
