Princess Charlotte’s name carries a subtle tribute to Princess Diana, woven into Kate Middleton and Prince William’s choice for their only daughter, says a royal commentator.
Charlotte, who just celebrated her 11th birthday on May 2, is a living link to her late grandmother. However, while her name could have directly honored Princess Diana, Kate and William deliberately chose not to use Diana as Charlotte’s first name.
Royal commentator Richard Kay said in the documentary Secrets of the Royal Palaces, as reported by Express, that the couple’s decision allowed Charlotte not to live a lifetime of comparison. “I think [William] very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother’s name as her first name. Everything she did and said would have been compared with her,” Kay explained.
By giving Charlotte her own distinct first name and using her late grandmother’s name as a middle name, Kate and William created a subtle but meaningful tribute. It allowed the young royal to carry a connection to her grandmother without that legacy shaping her identity.
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William was just 15 when his mother died as a result of injuries she sustained in a car accident in Paris, France. Diana’s companion, Dodi Al Fayed, and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, also died. The sole survivor was bodyguard Trevor Reese Jones.
Before her death, Diana divorced William’s father, then-Prince Charles, in 1996. One of the stipulations of the divorce was that Diana had to relinquish “her royal highness,” but she was able to keep the title Princess of Wales, per Cosmopolitan.
RELATED: Princess Diana’s Desire to ‘Please’ King Charles Came at a ‘Cost,’ Former Butler Claims
Express reported that in the 2003 book A Royal Duty, Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, claimed that before her death, William made his mother a promise.
Burrell said that William promised his mother that he would restore her title of HRH. The former butler claims William told Diana, “Don’t worry, Mummy, I will give it back to you one day when I am king.”
RELATED: Kate Middleton, Princess Diana Had to Pass the ‘Balmoral Test’ to Fit Into The Royal Family
Prince William publicly paid tribute to Princess Diana’s legacy on March 15, 2026. He shared a photo taken from his childhood on Instagram.
The photo was taken at Highgrove in 1984. Prince William was just two-years-old.
“Remembering my mother, today and every day. Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today. Happy Mother’s Day. W,” he captioned the photo.
MORE: Princess Diana’s Down-to-Earth Parenting Habit Brought Normalcy to Royal Life
This story was originally published by Parade on May 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
