Princess Charlotte shares very similar full name with unexpected cousin

Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of Prince and Princess of Wales, was named with considerable consideration and care.

Charlotte’s middle names are Elizabeth and Diana, both of which are homages to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Charlotte’s great-grandmother, and Diana, the late Princess of Wales, the grandmother she tragically never got to meet. Her first name, which is obviously a nickname the couple loves and is the feminine version of Charles, is a tribute to her grandfather King Charles.

However, Princess Charlotte also has a first cousin once removed, Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer, who is 11 years old and the daughter of Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer and his third wife Karen. The two have the same first and middle names.

“We hadn’t settled on a first name before the birth, but Charlotte is a name we both love, and it really suits her,” Lady Charlotte’s father Charles said after the child was born in August 2012. As soon as we laid eyes on her, we knew.”

He continued, honoring his late sister, saying, “I wanted our daughter to be named in Diana’s honor even though it has been 15 years since her death. I still miss her every day.”

And the Earl posted on Twitter after Princess Charlotte was born in May 2015, saying, “Perfect names.” Name-sharing with her cousins will make my 2-year-old Charlotte Diana very happy. She is old enough to believe that she is the center of the universe.”

Charles and Karen, who got married a year before Lady Charlotte was born, are the only parents of Lady Charlotte. She is the youngest of the seven children born to the Earl; Charles had two children by Caroline Freud, his second wife, and four children by Victoria Aitken, his first wife.

He disclosed last month how protective he is of his youngest child, particularly in light of the physical and sexual abuse he endured while attending Maidwell Hall Prep School.

During an episode of her podcast Therapy Works, Charles spoke to his late sister Diana’s close friend Julia Samuel. “I have an 11-year-old, I have many children, and my youngest one I do the school run with her in the morning and it’s a hoot, she’s really funny and fun,” Charles said.

She’s tired of me constantly asking, ‘Are there any strange teachers at school?’ I will always be vigilant, she says, rolling her eyes a little. “For goodness’ sake, we’ve been through this.”