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Britain's new prince has been named George Alexander Louis, royal officials said yesterday, ending speculation over what moniker Prince William and his wife, Kate, would pick for their first child.

Britain's new prince has been named George Alexander Louis, royal officials said yesterday, ending speculation over what moniker Prince William and his wife, Kate, would pick for their first child. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Kensington Palace said the royals are "delighted to announce" their son's name, adding that the two-day-old baby and third-in-line to the throne will be known as "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge."

Six previous British kings have been named George, and the name was a favorite of British bookmakers in the run-up to yesterday's announcement.

For now, the baby is expected to stay out of the spotlight after making his first "public appearance" in the arms of his parents outside of London's St Mary's Hospital on Tuesday.

After leaving the hospital, the couple introduced their son yesterday to great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who was keen to see the baby before she starts her annual summer vacation in Scotland later this week.

Then the young family headed to see Kate's parents in their village near London.

Now that Kate and William have chosen a name, they are expected to soon choose a photographer for the baby's first official portrait.

The couple perhaps is also trying to figure out ways to shield the baby from intense public and media interest.

At least the relationship got off to a good start. The baby slept through his first photo op outside the hospital, while his parents beamed as they chatted easily with reporters. For a royal family that has had a fraught relationship with the media, it was a positive sign.

"I thought, is this an Oscar-winning performance?" said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. "But I think they were so genuinely overjoyed that they wanted to show off the baby."

There has been so much royal drama in the last few decades that it's easy to forget that William had, by royal standards, a relatively normal childhood.

His parents' troubled marriage may have ended in divorce, but Prince Charles and Princess Diana were devoted parents who tried to spend as much time as possible with their children - albeit with an assist from nannies. The queen was sometimes away on official tours for months at a time when her children were young, but Charles and Diana took William along on a tour to Australia when he was just nine months old.

The queen was educated at home, in keeping with royal tradition. But she sent her own children to boarding schools, and Charles and Diana did the same with William and his younger brother Harry - choosing Eton, one of the biggest and most prestigious boys' schools in the country.

"William's childhood was normal by upper-middle-class standards - private schools, expensive holidays, McDonald's in a smart part of town as opposed to a grotty part of town," said royal historian Robert Lacey. "I think really one is going to see more of the same."

William's childhood normality was possible because the palace struck a deal with the media - privacy in exchange for a number of agreed photo opportunities at birthdays and during school holidays.

Seward said Kate and William would try to arrange a similar deal for their son.

Shanghai Daily contributed to the story.

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