The art of naming a new royal baby is incredibly delicate, especially if that baby is destined to one day be king or queen.
Almost every royal name has at least one, if not more, links to previous royals. Whether it is William, George, Henry or Elizabeth, it is important that there are no overriding historical associations which will affect their future.
Many names have been tainted with bad luck and will likely not be used for any future ruler.
The best example of this is the name Richard. King Richard I (better known as Richard the Lionheart) was killed in battle, the second was deposed and Richard III is believed to have killed his nephews at the Tower of London.
But this idea is also applicable to the name Charles. Will the heir to the throne pay any heed to this tradition and change his regnal name or become King Charles III?
Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace to the then Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
For such a popular name, it is surprising that there have only been two kings with the name Charles, but to say they both had eventful reigns would be an understatement.
Charles I is best remembered for being overthrown by Oliver Cromwell after his defeat at the English Civil War in 1645.
He also had a bad personal reputation because he was a staunch believer in the Divine Right of Kings, which meant he thought his right to rule came from God and he wasn’t answerable to Parliament.
The King was imprisoned by Cromwell and was beheaded outside the Palace of Whitehall in 1649. Charles I’s son, Charles II, was brought back from exile when the monarchy was restored in 1660 and was very popular.
But his reign was considered as equally as unlucky as his father’s because he was unable to have a legitimate heir and both the Great Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 took place during his time on the throne.
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For the last 70 years, the heir apparent to the throne has been Prince Charles. It is thought that he will one day become King Charles III, but he could opt to use a different regnal name to avoid the same unlucky fate as his predecessors.
As he will also be following the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Prince Charles will want to avoid any negative associations that could be cast on him during his time on the throne.
Several famous monarchs have previously chosen to take a different regnal name to their real name.
Queen Victoria was born as Princess Alexandrina but took the name Victoria as it was thought Alexandrina sounded too foreign to be the name of a British queen.
The Queen’s father also took a different regnal name. He was born as Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George on December 14, 1895.
Upon the abdication of his elder brother, King Edward VIII, Prince Albert took the name George and became King George VI. It was seen as a display of stability and a continuation from his father, King George V.
So while it is unlikely that Prince Charles will change his name, given the confusion it would bring about, there is every possibility that he could choose to become known by a different name, such as, King George VII.
