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Cape Town – You know them as Prince William and Prince Harry, but Their Royal Highnesses would have had two very different names had Princess Diana not vetoed it from the start.
In Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story, the late princess explained that Charles wanted to name his children after Queen Victoria's consort – and 'Arthur' and 'Albert' would've been the lucky, chosen names for the two princes. But it was Diana who decided the names of her two sons.
"I chose the names William and Harry because the alternatives were Arthur and Albert," she told Andrew Morton. "No thank you," she said. "There weren't fights over it. It was just a fait accompli."
The princess did, however, compromise and honour her husband's wishes, giving William and Harry Arthur and Albert as second names.
Her first son was named William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor and her second Henry Charles Albert David, but we know them simply as princes William and Harry.
Over the years, many stories have surfaced about the birth of the two boys, but Andrew revealed the queen's reaction to meeting 'Baby Wales' as William was known at the time.
"Joy was unconfined. At 21:03 on 21 June 1982 Diana produced the son and heir which was cause for national rejoicing. When the queen came to visit her grandchild the following day her comment was typical. As she looked at the tiny bundle she said drily: 'Thank goodness he hasn't got your ears.'"
(Photo: Getty/Gallo Images)
