Royal baby: Possible names for princess

Kate Middleton has given birth to a girl. Photo / Getty Images

Alexandra

Alexandra is one of the Queen's middle names. The Queen's great-grandmother was Queen Alexandra. Queen Alexandra, who was born in 1844, was married to King Edward VII. A Danish princess, she had a happy childhood and was known to her family as Alix. She was once considered one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Like William's mother, she held the title the Princess of Wales before Queen Victoria's son Edward VII acceded to the throne.

Alice

Alice has been a favourite at the bookmakers. Princess Alice was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and the great-grandmother of the Duke of Edinburgh. Her daughter Alix married Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and was later executed alongside her family by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Her granddaughter, also called Alice, was the Duke of Edinburgh's mother - Princess Alice of Battenberg. Later Princess Andrew of Greece, she saw little of Philip when he was a child. She fell ill and was committed to a sanatorium. In later years she went to live at Buckingham Palace and was said to walk around in a nun's habit, smoking Woodbines. She founded an order of nuns.

Charlotte

William and Kate could name their daughter Charlotte - the feminine form of Charles - in honour of the Duke's father and the baby's grandfather, the Prince of Wales. Queen Charlotte, who was born in 1744, was married to George III. Charlotte was actually her second name - her first was Sophie. A keen botanist, she founded Kew Gardens, had 15 children and was a patron of the arts. Some historians have argued that she was of African descent. Her daughter, born in 1766, was also called Charlotte and later known as the Princess Royal. Charlotte is also the middle name of Kate's sister Pippa Middleton.

Diana

William and Kate are also likely to want to remember the Duke's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash when William was 15. The Duke places great importance on honouring her memory, having used Diana's sapphire and diamond engagement ring when he proposed to Kate. It is thought likely they would use the name Diana, if not as a first name then as one of their baby daughter's middle names.

Elizabeth

There is speculation William and Kate will pick Elizabeth - if not as a first name then as a middle name - in honour of William's grandmother and the reigning Queen. The Queen is held in great respect by her family, and William has spoken of how she has become an even more important part of his life as he has grown older. Kate, too, has forged a strong bond with William's grandmother in her short time as a royal. The Queen was known as Lilibet as a child. William's great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, was also an Elizabeth. It is Kate's middle name and her mother's middle name.

Frances

Frances was Diana's middle name and the first name of her mother, Frances Shand Kydd. It is also a recurring name in Kate's family tree. It was her great-great-great grandmother's first name and appears several times in the male form Francis.

Mary

Mary is one of the Queen's middle names. It was also her grandmother's name. Mary of Teck married George V. Britain has seen two Marys on the throne - Mary I, known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants, and Mary II, who ruled jointly as monarch with her Dutch husband William III. The last example of a great-granddaughter of a still-serving sovereign born on the male line was Princess Mary, who was born in 1897 and was George VI's sister.

Other names

Kate might choose to remember her grandmothers Valerie and Dorothy. Harriet is also a family name on her father's side. She could decide to use her mother's name, Carole - or a form of it, such as Caroline or Carolina.

- AAP