Queen Camilla has divided opinion after giving a new puppy the same name as one of her five grandchildren.
Choosing a baby name often feels like one of the most important decisions you can make as a new parent. Do you go for a unique baby name or something more popular like a celebrity-inspired baby name? Inspiration can be found everywhere but would you be inspired by relatives when picking out the perfect moniker?
That's exactly where Queen Camilla turned when looking for the perfect choice of name for the newest member of the Medical Detection Dogs' family. The royal, who is a patron of the charity, was given the honour of naming their newest puppy and her choice of Freddy has a special family connection.
The name is the same as her youngest grandchild's, Freddy Parker-Bowels. He was born back in 2011, making him the youngest by only two months, and he had a starring role his grandmother and King Charles's coronation, being one of the pages of honour alongside Prince George.
Meet Freddy, our newest team member named by a very special supporter - our Patron, The Queen.Her Majesty was invited to name a puppy in celebration of her continued Patronage. Welcome to the team, Freddy!https://t.co/1CBlWg6YZ9@RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/IEfmjGlJefJuly 10, 2024
The choice of name is an adorable one but it's connection to Camilla's grandchild has reignited an age-old conversation about pets and children sharing names. Camilla seems to be in the minority of people who have named dogs after children, but naming children after past pets is a huge trend - though there is a big divide between those who love the idea and those who think it's a questionable place to find inspiration.
"Don't name your baby after a dog. If you look online or in a baby name book you're bound to find a name you can both agree on," one baby naming expert from BabyCentre said. While another added, "If you really love the name and that's what you want to call your baby, then that's what you should do. Personally, I couldn't have a baby with the same name as my dog."
"I've always thought it would be tricky to have a dog and a baby with the same name. Whenever you call that name, neither the dog or the baby will know which one you are talking to," said another.
Another expert added, "My beautiful dog Summer passed away in June. I'm 15 weeks pregnant and I've decided to use Summer as a middle name if I have a girl. I miss my dog very much and want to keep her memory alive. So I think it's a great idea."
What do you think? Would you name your child after a past pet?
The royal family are big on pets and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis especially love their guinea pigs who experts say are teaching the kids some very important life lessons. And it's not just royal households who are livened up by the addition of a pet, our deputy editor has found that her new family pet has shown her a lot about fitness - though some families may prefer to get interactive pets for kids rather than anything real.
