Kate Middleton and Prince William's firstborn, Prince George, almost ended up with a completely different name - says an expert. They revealed that there was another moniker that Kate 'had her heart set' on for quite some time.
Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge arrived in the world on July 22, 2013, at St Mary's Hospital in London, being third in line to the throne, after his dad, Prince William and grandad King Charles.Every element of the little prince's name tips its hat to previous members of the Royal family.
"George" is a direct nod to his great-great-grandfather, King George VI (the Queen's father). His first middle name, Alexander, honours the Queen, who is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, reports the Mirror. Interestingly, it's said that Alexandra was high on Kate's list of fave names if she ever had a daughter although once their little girl was born, they called her Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
![Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge,](https://i2-prod.ok.co.uk/royal/article32818284.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_gettyimages-174293677.jpg)
The last part of George's name, Louis, is shared with his dad, Prince William, whose full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. Speculation suggests his name might also be celebrating Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's uncle who fell victim to the IRA back in 1979.
However, apparently, Prince George wasn't originally meant to be named George, but Alexander. Royal author Katie Nicholl revealed that Kate Middleton, was quite taken with the name Alexander for her first child.
Nicholl shared: "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."
![Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge with baby George](https://i2-prod.ok.co.uk/royal/article32818286.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_gettyimages-452491042.jpg)
However, in a twist of Royal fate, they opted for George, giving Alexander as a middle name instead. Nicholl also mentioned that during her pregnancy, Kate affectionately called her bump 'our little grape,' hinting she felt it might be a boy due to the vigorous kicking.
"When I saw William a few weeks before the birth he said they didn't know [the baby's sex] and didn't want to find out" a friend of the couple reportedly said. "He said there are so few surprises in life-this was one he wanted to keep. Kate said she thought it was a boy because the baby kicked so much."
In an adorable revelation, it seems Prince William and Kate's dog Lupo played a role in choosing Prince George's name. The Times reported that the couple wrote down potential names, scattered them on the floor, and let Lupo decide, leading to the belief that he chose George.