When Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William announced they were expecting their first child, royal fans were desperate to know what the baby would be called. Before Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, the public was unaware of whether Kate and William were expecting a boy or a girl. But many assumed Kate and William would opt for a traditionally 'royal' name for their child, as the royal tot would one day be the monarch.

       Royal fans had to wait a little while after baby Cambridge was born to find out what his name was.

       Two days after his birth, the Royal Family announced the baby's name as His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

       The name George had been a firm favourite with bookmakers in the run-up to the announcement.

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       The name George has strong royal connotations, with six English kings to date bearing the name.

       Poignantly, the name choice can be seen as a tribute to William's grandmother, the Queen, whose late father was King George VI.

       George's middle name of Alexander has not been used by a king of England, but a few past kings of Scotland have held the name.

       And the middle name of Louis can be seen as a sweet tribute to the late Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's beloved uncle.

       But it seems George could have had a completely different first name, with Kate thought to have favoured another name before his arrival.

       In 2013, royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in Vanity Fair that Kate had "set her heart" on the name Alexander for her baby's first name.

       Ms Nicholl wrote: "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."

       Even though Kate may have once preferred Alexander for her son's first name, she managed to squeeze it into George's middle names.

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       William and Kate later welcomed Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in 2015 and decided on the middle names of Elizabeth Diana for their only daughter.

       The first name Charlotte has royal links, perhaps most famously being the name of King George III's wife Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

       The middle name of Elizabeth was chosen as a tribute to the Queen.

       While the name Diana has sweet links to William's late mother, Princess Diana, and is a middle name Charlotte now shares with her cousin Lilibet.

       Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born in 2018, and his first name is also thought to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten.

       The name Louis also has strong connections to many past kings of France.

       Arthur is also Prince William's middle name, and the name Charles is a tribute to William's father Prince Charles.