Where did Princess Charlotte of Cambridge get her name from?

It is thought the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may have chosen Charlotte as it was a name they both liked and it is the feminine version of Charles, which honour’s the Duke’s father, the Prince of Wales.

But did you know that the name also has historical royal links, previously there has been a Queen Charlotte and Princess Charlottes, albeit over several hundred years ago.

In 1744 a Princess named Sophie, married George III and subsequently shunned her christian name to become known by the title Queen Charlotte.

She became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland through this marriage in 1761 up to when the union of the two kingdoms which commenced in 1801. Thus she became the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1818.

In 1766, Queen Charlotte gave birth to a her daughter whom she named Charlotte and this child was known as the Princess Royal.

Queen Charlotte’s grandaughter was also named after her and held the title, Princess Charlotte of Wales. She was the daughter of George IV and Caroline of Brunswick.

Princess Charlotte of Wales was born in 1796, and if she had outlived both her grandfather King George III and her father King George the IV, she would have become Queen.

Unfortunately, she died aged just 21 in 1817 following problems during childbirth, which lead to a mass outpouring of national grief.

There are other members of the foreign Royal family with the name of Charlotte including Princess Caroline of Monaco’s daughter, Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi, 29, whom is her second child with her late Stefano Casiraghi.

The name means petite and feminine and is so very apt name for such a beautiful little princess.