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The New Royal Baby's Name Has An Unexpected Connection To Harry Potter

by Sadie Trombetta
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Since his birth last Monday, April 23, the world hasn't been able to stop talking about the newest member of the British royal family, His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge. The royally obsessed want to know everything about him, from where he is in line to the throne to the story behind official moniker, Louis Arthur Charles, a name that has an unexpected Harry Potter connection Potterheads are freaking out over in the best way.

For months leading up to his birth, fans of the royal family obsessed over what Kate Middleton and Prince William would name their third child. Theories included several names with strong ties to the monarchy, including family names like Edward and Philip, but the odds were in favor of Arthur. In the end, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose Louis Arthur Charles, a name that has an fun, albeit surprising, connection to J.K. Rowling's wizarding world: the Weasley family.

"Louis Arthur Charles, you were named after three iconic Weasleys," a viral tweet from the official Pottermore account pointed Friday, a fact only the most eagle-eyed Potterheads would have picked up on.

If you know your Harry Potter lore, than you know that Prince Louis shares his names with three Weasley men: Arthur Weasley, the patriarch of the red headed wizarding family everyone wishes they could be a part of; Charlie, or Charles, Ron's second oldest brother, who was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team before graduating and moving to Romania to study dragons; and Louis, the son of Bill and Fleur Weasley.

While Arthur and Charlie are well-known characters in the official Harry Potter cannon, the last Weasley, Louis, is probably only known by die-hard fans of the series, as he never appeared in the books but was introduced later on Pottermore.

Is it possible the royals knew this piece of Potter trivia when they named their son? The new parents are a fan of the series, after all.

Naming their son after the Weasleys, whether intentional or not, is not the first time Prince William and Kate Middleton have shown their love for J.K. Rowling's iconic franchise. In 2013, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had a wizarding duel of their own at the opening of Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden. At the time of their visit, which included plenty of time exploring The Warner Bros Studio Tour London—The Making of Harry Potter, Kate was six months pregnant with the original royal baby, Prince George.

Could it be the new parents were thinking of the Weasley wizarding family when they named their baby boy? Knowing how much planning and tradition goes into naming the royals, probably not, but that hasn't stopped Potterheads from speculating.

The real story behind little Prince Louis's name might not be as magical, but it certainly is heartfelt. Like his father, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, and his older brother, Prince George Alexander Louis, the newest royal baby has a moniker that is meant to honor Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip's beloved Uncle Dickie, who had the role of honorary grandfather to Prince Charles. Prince Louis' other given names also hold significance: Charles is an obvious nod to his grandfather, and Arthur, though more mysterious, could be a shout out to the fabled king and leader of the Knights of the Round Table.

Did J.K. Rowling somehow predict the Prince Louis's name in her writing? We may never know the truth, but one this is for sure: The newest member of the royal family has some big shoes to fill if he is going to live up to his possible namesakes, both real and fictional.