The people's pick for a royal baby name

The Sunday Times has a poll today with the people's choice of name for baby Cambridge.  Can you imagine that happening when any of Henry VIII's queen consorts were expecting?  Let's ask the man and woman in the street what they'd like the child to be called...

But that was then and this is now and our survey says....Victoria for a girl and James for a boy.  Quite surprising choices really, especially in the male list.  James doesn't have a great track record when it comes to Kings of England.  James I was known as the wisest fool in Christendom and James II lost his crown and had to flee his kingdom in a rowing boat when his daughter, Mary, and son in law, William, took over in 1688. 

Maria of Modena, the last queen consort to name her son James

 

And that was the last year a queen consort gave the name to a child.  James' queen Maria of Modena named their controversial son James but he never got near his father's throne.  It had only been used by the Stuarts so it's time in royal history is somewhat fleeting.  In fact, the name disappeared from the royal circles closest to the throne until 2007 when the Countess of Wessex gave it to her second child.

 

Sophie and Edward called their second child James - the first time it had been used in close royal circles for centuries

(photo Carfax2)

 

 

Victoria is less of a surprising choice - respondents feeling it was time for a Victoria II, perhaps after the success of Elizabeth II.  With no close royal cousins bearing it as a first name the coast is clear.  And if baby Cambridge gets a shuffle on and arrives in the next few hours they could share a birthday with Crown Princess Victoria who turned 36 today.  A perfect excuse to follow the wishes of the people when it comes to picking baby's name.

 

 

 

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden turned 36 on July 14th 2013 - if baby Cambridge arrives on the same day could they also share the same name?

(photo Bernt Nyman)

 

 

The poll was carried out by YouGov for The Sunday Times. and the top five for boys were James, George, Oliver, Thomas and Jacob while the girls' top five were Victoria, Diana, Grace, Elizabeth and Charlotte.