The royal baby name rule Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan must follow
As Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan prepare to welcome the birth of their first child in spring next year, the newlyweds are brushing up on the royal protocol they must follow as they become parents.
However, the royal couple will have fewer restrictions on the name they choose for their baby because the Duke of Sussex is not in direct succession to the throne.
Unlike his brother Prince William, Harry doesn’t have to name his offspring after past kinds of other royal ancestors.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson also got to enjoy the freedom of choosing untraditional names, like Beatrice and Eugenie.
“The further down the line of succession, the more likely you are to have a more unique or untraditional name,” Carolyn Harris, author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting, told Vogue Australia.
“We see, from the diversity of names among the Queen’s descendants, that the Queen does seem willing to allow the descendants to choose their own names.”
But there is one protocol that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be expected to follow – waiting several days to publicly announce their newborn’s name so they can tell the Queen and other family members first.
Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said this protocol provides the necessary time for the royal family to celebrate in private and check that the name is suitable.
“Royals, however, also have to consider the great responsibility in naming a new member of the family and I expect they want to be a hundred per cent certain of their choice before announcing the name and sealing the baby’s place in history,” Arbiter told Town and Country.
Despite the relaxed rules regarding their baby name, many royal spectators predict that Harry and Meghan will choose a traditional name.
Victoria, Arthur, Albert and Diana are favourites among fans, while Elizabeth and Philip are frontrunners in honour of Harry’s grandparents.
What name do you think Harry and Meghan will choose? Let us know in the comments below.