Prince George *almost* had a very different name

Can you guess?

We have previously reported the Queen has had a say in her great grandchildren's names over the years, and certain royals will not take on royal titles, including Princess Charlotte.

Now, it turns out Kate Middleton and Prince William's eldest son, Prince George, almost had a very different name.

The eight-year-old royal's full name is George Alexander Louis, however his mother originally had her "heart set on" a different moniker for her firstborn, The Mirror Online has reported. 

Royal expert, Katie Nicholl, said: "Courtiers insisted the pair had not found out the sex of their unborn baby, and friends close to the couple claim William wanted a surprise.

"Although Kate apparently suspected it was a boy and had set her heart on the name Alexander, they had not yet decided what to call their firstborn."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - who also have son Prince Louis and daughter Princess Charlotte together - turned to their late dog Lupo to help them decide on George's moniker.

According to The Times, the couple wrote all possible names on pieces of paper, scattered them on the floor, and left it up to their beloved pooch to select the name, and decided by sniffing out the favourite.

Turns out the name selected was George.

The family had Lupo for eight years until the English Cocker Spaniel passed away in 2020. However, they now have another black Cocker Spaniel named Orla, who is sometimes pictured in royal portraits, and even attended the Guards Polo Club in Windsor earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty has also made a significant change to royal protocol surrounding names and titles for the sake of her great grandchildren. 

Back in 1917 the Queen’s grandfather King George V put in place a guidance for future members of the royal family to follow, and it dictated which royals were allowed to have titles.

While all the sovereign’s children would take the Prince or Princess moniker, as well as grandchildren from the male bloodline, it was not extended to great-grandchildren.

However, the Queen changed that ruling when Kate Middleton and Prince William’s first child, Prince George, was born, and has extended this further to reach all of the Cambridge’s children.