Here’s the answer! After Prince William and Duchess Kate announced on Friday, April 27, that they named their third son Prince Louis, royal watchers around the world wondered how to pronounce the moniker.
Some Twitter users asked whether the tiny heir’s name takes the French pronunciation (Louie, or LU-ee) or the Americanized pronunciation (Lewis, or LU-iss). According to Kensington Palace, the correct way is the former, with the “s” being silent.
As previously reported, William, 35, and Kate, 36, welcomed Louis in a Lindo Wing suite at St. Mary’s Hospital in London at 11:01 a.m. local time on Monday, April 23. The baby joins big brother Prince George, 4, and big sister Princess Charlotte, who turns 3 next week.
Louis made his public debut on the steps of the hospital on Monday afternoon when Kate went home just seven hours after giving birth.
The newborn’s name is likely an homage to his great-grandfather Prince Philip’s late uncle Louis Mountbatten, who was assassinated by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during a trip to Ireland in August 1979.
Mountbatten, who first introduced Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, isn’t the only member of the British royal family with the name Louis. George’s full name is George Alexander Louis, while William’s full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. In addition, Philip’s grandfather was Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg.
After the palace revealed the name on Friday morning, former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson (who shares 2-year-old son Freddie with ex Briana Jungwirth) joked on Twitter, “Young Louis welcome to the world. I’ll take you under my wing lad. The Adidas tracksuit is in the post!”
