Kate's adorable name for Prince George months before he was even born

03 February 2024 , 10:00

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Prince George at Princess Charlotte's christening in July 2015 (Image: Getty Images)

Prince William and Kate Middleton made the decision not to find out the gender of their firstborn child before welcoming Prince George in July 2013.

The couple, who married in April 2011, wanted to keep it as a surprise until the birth - but that didn't stop them from coming up with a sweet nickname for their unborn baby.

Back in 2013, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl wrote in Vanity Fair: "Although Kate apparently suspected it was a boy and had set her heart on the name Alexander, they had not yet decided what to call their firstborn.

"Kate was reported to have affectionately referred to her bump as 'our little grape' while she was pregnant, and there was a flurry of betting on possible names."

St James' Palace announced that William and Kate were expecting their first child on 3 December 2012. The exciting news came early in her pregnancy due to Kate being unwell with hyperemesis gravidarum and requiring hospital treatment.

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Fortunately, the Princess felt better in the final trimester and the world celebrated with the royal couple when little Prince George arrived at 4.24pm on 22 July 2013.

Prince George was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London weighing 8lb 6oz. Kate is said to have delivered him naturally. The couple delayed the public announcement for almost four hours, releasing the official statement from Kensington Palace around 8pm.

According to HELLO!, William had the duty of calling his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on a specially encrypted phone to tell her the happy news. Then he called Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, in Bucklebury, her sister Pippa and brother, James, his own father Prince Charles and his brother Prince Harry. The couple waited one day before leaving hospital with their baby boy.

Kate previously opened up about the moment George was born, telling Giovanna Fletcher : "Amazing, amazing. It is extraordinary as I've said. How can the human body do that? It is utterly extraordinary, actually. And he was very sweet. And also sort of relieved that he was a happy, healthy boy."

She also spoke about her first night in hospital with her newborn. When asked how many hours after giving birth she presented Prince George to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing, she recalled: "I… Oh my gosh, I can't remember. Everything goes in a bit of a blur. I think, yeah I did stay in hospital overnight, I remember it was one of the hottest days and night with huge thunderstorms so I didn't get a huge amount of sleep, but George did which was really great."

Gemma Strong