The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge have named their son , HRH
Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.
The third in line to the
throne, who was born on Monday at 16:24 BST, will be known as His Royal
Highness Prince George of Cambridge.
George
"George"
- the front-runner before the announcement, according to many UK bookmakers --
was the name of Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, who reigned from 1936
until his death in 1952. He assumed the throne on the abdication of his
brother, Edward VIII. His life was depicted in the Oscar-winning movie
"The King's Speech."
George
I, born in Germany, became king in 1714. He was followed by a line of kings
with the same name, including George III, who was known for his bouts of
insanity.
The
name is also a patriotic choice for many in the UK: Saint George, patron saint
of England, is known for his legendary defeat of a dragon in the third century.
His feast day is celebrated on April 23, (the date also associated with the
birth of William Shakespeare, England's most revered writer).
Despite
its royal connections, George has humble origins, derived as it is from the
Greek name "georgios" meaning "earth worker" or
"farmer."
Other
historical Georges: composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), first president
of the United States George Washington (1732-1799), and the Pacific explorer
George Vancouver (1757-1798). Authors Mary Anne Evans and Eric Arthur Blair
also chose George as their pen names: George Eliot (1819-1880) and George
Orwell (1903-1950) respectively.
Alexander
This
gallant title means "defender of men," from the Latin form of the
Greek name "Alexandros." Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.),
better known as Alexander the Great, courageously ruled and conquered many
parts of the world before his untimely death at age 32.
The name "Alexander" is a feature of the Dutch royal
family: Willem-Alexander ascended
to the throne after the abdication of his mother Queen Beatrix earlier
this year.
Other
historical Alexanders: English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American
statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Alexander
MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) and Alexander
Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-born inventor of the telephone.
Louis
The
name "Louis" originates from the English and French interpretations
of the German name Ludwig, which can be interpreted as "renowned
warrior."
Louis
was the first name of Lord Mountbatten, uncle of George's great-grandfather
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and mentor to Prince Charles. He was killed
by the IRA while holidaying in Ireland in 1979.
No
British monarch has been named Louis, but it is very popular across the English
Channel in France, where 18 kings have taken the name from 814 onward. Louis
XIV, the Sun King, reigned from 1643 until 1715 and was hailed by many as the
greatest monarch of his age because of the growth in French power and the
opulence of his court, which included the Palace of Versailles.
Louis
XVI was the king of France from 1774 until 1792, when he was found guilty of
treason after the revolution and executed in 1793.
Other
historical figures named Louis: French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895);
Métis leader Louis Riel (1844-1885), who led a rebellion against Canada; and
Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), who wrote "Treasure
Island" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
0 comments:
Post a Comment