As they say across the pond, everyone is "getting in a tizzy" about all the royal happenings at the moment. With such a sustained level of excitement and distraction about royal births and weddings, it is a wonder that anyone is getting any work done over there.
Most of you are aware by now that on April 23, the youngest addition to the British royal family made his appearance. His Royal Highness, Prince Louis Arthur Charles, is fifth in line to the throne, behind his grandfather, Prince Charles; father, Prince William; big brother, Prince George; and big sister, Princess Charlotte.
His uncle, Prince Harry, has moved down to sixth in line, just as he prepares for the wedding to his American fiancée, Meghan Merkle, on May 19 – although that is a subject for another column.
Princess Catherine will have four weeks after giving birth to get into her wedding outfit, but if her appearance on the steps of the hospital just hours after her youngest son’s arrival is anything to go by it won’t be any problem.
The general consensus is that this will be the final child for William and Kate. One reason is that they only saved three tiers of their wedding cake and have used the first two at the christenings of Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Another is that Kate is one of three children and considers it a good template for a happy family life.
Finally, they appear to have honored prominent members of the royal family in the naming of their children. The latest addition, Prince Louis Arthur Charles, is thought to have been named to honor the following royals:
• Louis – after Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India and greatly beloved great uncle of Prince Charles who was assassinated in 1979 by the terrorist Irish Republican Army.
• Arthur – Prince William’s own second name and a middle name of the child’s grandfather, Prince Charles. Arthur is also famous around the world for King Arthur, the legendary British leader, who, according to medieval folklore, defended the country against Saxon invaders.
• Charles – is obviously to honor his grandfather, Prince Charles, who is heir to the British throne and Prince William’s father. He will become the third British king named Charles when he succeeds Queen Elizabeth II, who is thankfully still going strong at the age of 92. It has been many centuries since a King Charles ruled: King Charles I was from the British royal House of Stuart but was beheaded in 1649 during the civil war when Oliver Cromwell took the place of a monarch. However, in 1660, the monarchy was restored, although with less power than before, and Charles II returned from exile in France and took over the throne.
While Prince William and Princess Kate have made traditional choices in the naming of their children, they are widely respected for having a modern approach to child-raising and William has been determined to be a hands-on father.
I will leave you with a quote from the royal father himself, who is also a former Air Ambulance helicopter pilot: "I have to say that I thought search-and-rescue duties over Snowdonia were physically and mentally demanding, but looking after a 3-week-old baby is up there."
God bless America, and the British royal family, as well!