First of all, Will was trolling us. Or at least, he thought he was having some fun at everyone’s expense.

Well, ‘fun’. A few weeks ago, after a match of some kind involving a star athlete named Jack, he mused that Jack was a good name, and then the other day it was the Australian High Commissioner jokingly suggesting Alexander and Will goes, “Funny you should say that…”

But the jokes, they were tired. The wait was too long. Long enough for this: 

No, no wait, one more: 

DEAD. 

 

Look, announcing on a Friday from a Monday birth isn’t thaaat long but we’re more desperate for good-to-neutral news than we’ve ever been, so it was a hell of a wait.  And given the seemingly credible rumors that it was Albert and the thin stories about how they wanted the Queen and/or Charles to meet him first, I’m just gonna come out and say I think they had a marital discussion about this name. One of those things where each person is sure the other will give in soon enough, and it’s two days of “I can’t believe you haven’t given in yet!” “I can’t believe you haven’t! What’s wrong with WILBERFORCE?” Like, I know they had nine months but I also kind of know I’m right, somehow. I could imagine all the names they left on the floor of the battleground… except that’s not the point. 

Louis Arthur Charles. Was it worth the wait? 

I’m gonna surprise myself and say yes. 

Look. George Alexander Louis is pretty great, because you only need one syllable for that full-cheeked determination. Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, who probably won’t have to be monarch, gets away with having the fun, Harry-style life, so she carries allllll the family heritage in her name.  

Louis Arthur Charles, while still staunchly within the realm of Royal names, gets to surprise us a liiiittle bit. Lainey thought it would be Albert (with good reason), I was leaning more toward Arthur, wishing for Frederick, and just hoping we wouldn’t be bored to death by Charles… and we weren’t! 

 

I like Louis as a name fundamentally, add to the fact that I am utterly besotted with Sandra Bullock’s son (even though I know that child or his name was not even a glimmer of a factor for the Cambridges), and we get it up to a real affection. In the context of the Royals, who, as everyone points out, only cycle through half a dozen names anyway…it’s practically like calling him River. I’m really into it, and I’m surprising myself. Usually I would be fussed about the fact that Louis has to wear one of his big brother’s middle names, but we have to grade these people on a curve. 

I’m especially into it because a friend thought Louis was a bit of a ‘naughty’ name, and I am so down for that. I want them to have a houseful of mischief-makers, and though Lainey has highlighted the continued dominion of Big G, I’m happy that Louis, complete with impish smile, is here to give him a run for his money.  

Again, it was never going to be Furio, or even Francis, but given the pool they have to work with, Louis is pretty great, and not competing with anyone in recent memory. And it’s even a bit unique, in the sense that the relatively-rare-in-2018 Louis has the opportunity to shape our opinion of the name in the way that the popular Charlotte and well-known George really don’t. So there, Big G. Louis has one up on you already. 

I’m quite into it, actually. Who the hell am I?