Princess Eugenie’s frontrunner baby name for son a nod to the Queen and Prince Philip

With the arrival of their son, royalists are eagerly waiting to see what Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank will name their newborn.

Less one week on from announcing the arrival of their firstborn baby, royalists are eagerly guessing as to what Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank will name their son.

On Tuesday, the Princess shared the happy news with her 1.3 million followers via Instagram, posting a black and white image of her holding her newborn’s hand.

Later that day, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news via a statement, saying, “Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, 9th February 2021, at 0855hrs at The Portland Hospital.”

However a name is yet to be given, and with royal precedent ranging anywhere from 24 hours to an entire month until a formal announcement is made, the odds are swaying. Here are the main contenders:

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank welcomed their first child together on February 9. Picture: Jonathan Brady/Getty

PHILIP

According to multiple UK betting sites, the frontrunner is currently Philip, a nod to Eugenie’s paternal grandfather, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip is also one of the middle names of Prince Charles and Prince William.

Despite being popular among today’s royals, Philip is a relatively new name for the British royal family, and only entered common use with the marriage of Prince Philip (who was born into the Greek and Danish royal families) to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

ARTHUR

As one of the most famous kings in British history, Arthur is still a hugely popular name within the royal family. Currently, Arhur is a middle name used by Prince Charles and Prince William, and is the name of Kate Middleton’s nephew.

Philip is tipped to be a favourite name for the Princess, after her grandfather, as is Albert, the name of Queen Elizabeth II’s father. Picture: Chris Jackson / Buckingham Palace / AFP

FREDERICK

While the name Frederick already in use by the 41-year-old Lord Frederick Windsor – the son Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent – UK bookies still believe it a real contender.

The name Frederick was also popular among earlier generations of the British royal family.

In 1707, Frederick, Prince of Wales was the eldest son to King George II and his wife, Queen Caroline. Sadly, Prince Frederick was not beloved by his parents, with his mother once saying, “Our firstborn is the greatest ass, the greatest liar, the greatest canaille and the greatest beast in the world, and we heartily wish he was out of it.”

The parents got their wish when, in 1729, Prince Frederick met an untimely end, reportedly dying from being hit by a cricket ball.

JAMES

Another favourite among bookies is James, a quintessentially British royal name that made baby name lists for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan.

Eugenie’s youngest cousin, the 13-year-old Viscount Severn, is named James.

Princess Eugenie could be influenced by Prince William and Kate Middleton’s family names. Picture: Matt Porteous / The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via Getty

EDWARD

Edward is a name favoured by royals for hundreds of years, with Queen Victoria’s eldest son Albert choosing the name when he ascended the throne as King Edward VII. His eldest son, Prince Albert, also went by the name Eddy, and before his untimely death at age 28, Prince Eddy was rumoured to be the notorious London murderer, Jack the Ripper.

King Edward VIII, Queen’s Elizabeth’s uncle, famously abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorce.

Edward is also the name of the Queen’s youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, and a middle name used by countless other royals, including Eugenie’s father, Prince Andrew.

ALBERT

Following Queen Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert, the name has been another hugely popular name with modern royals, and was the first name of Queen Elizabeth’s father, Princess Eugenie’s great-grandfather.

Albert is also a middle name of both Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

Princess Beatrice and Jack Brooksbank were married in 2018. Picture: Toby Melville / AFP

OLIVER

Given that the couple’s son will not be a prince or have a royal title (his surname will be Brooksbank), the parents are much freer to break with tradition than other royals.

Princess Eugenie’s cousins, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips have both opted for new age names, with Tindall’s daughters named Mia and Lena, and Phillips’ daughters named Savannah and Isla.

As one of the most popular UK baby names of the last few years, Oliver could be an option the couple opt for.

OTHER OPTIONS:

Henry – Prince Harry’s legal name, Eugenie’s favourite cousin, and the name of the Queen’s late uncle.

Christian – A middle name of Prince Andrew.

Richard – A longtime royal favourite.

David – Another classic royal name.

George – While the popular George is Jack Brookbanks’ father’s name, it’s also the name of Prince William’s oldest son and one day heir to the throne, so an outlier.

Ronald – The name of Eugenie’s maternal grandfather. However due to strained relations between Sarah Ferguson and her father, it’s an unlikely option.

Originally published as Princess Eugenie’s frontrunner baby name for son a nod to the Queen and Prince Philip