How Princess Charlotte Already Represents Strong Women
May 7, 2015
She’s just a few days old but Princess Charlotte is already a little trailblazer in her own right. Fortunately, her parents, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), have been insistent that their desire to provide a progressive, modern life for their children be heard at Buckingham Palace. Here are some ways this little girl is representing a strong female voice:
300-Year Rule Changed
Shortly following the marriage of William and Kate, Queen Elizabeth struck down a centuries-old rule that prevented girls from having equal rights to the throne. The new guidelines meant that, if the royal couple had a daughter first, she would still retain her place in the order of succession, regardless of whether any sons were born after her. During a Commonwealth summit in Perth, Australia, the Queen spoke of the untapped potential of women and girls and that year’s theme “Woman as Agents of Change.” She encouraged the representatives from the 53 countries in attendance to continue to strive to “promote that theme in a lasting way.”
To simplify the significance of the rule change, British Prime Minister David Cameron explained: “Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl (first), that girl would one day be our queen.”
Name Honors Strong Family
Once it was announced that Kate had given birth to a little girl, the world eagerly waited to learn the baby’s name. Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana has a lovely ring to it but it’s so much more than a few names that sound nice together. The selection of two of the names is fairly obvious – Elizabeth is the current queen and Prince William’s grandmother and Diana is in memory of his late mother who was beloved by people around the world.
What about Charlotte? It’s been reported that this name was chosen because it is a feminized version of Charles, as in Prince Charles, William’s father! Further, Kate’s mother’s name is Carole and her sister’s middle name is Charlotte so the moniker seems to tie in very nicely with the entire family. It doesn’t end there, however.
Huge Legacy
Historically, there was a Queen Charlotte who was married to George III (George is also the name William and Kate chose for their son) and reigned while the American Revolution raged on across the ocean. The storied royal couple also had a daughter named Charlotte. Kensington Palace has announced that this new royal baby will be officially known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
Of course, we can’t talk about the strength of women in this story without pointing to Charlotte’s mother, Kate Middleton. It cannot be easy to marry into such a powerful family and, following the death of Diana, so many well-wishers around the world have wanted the best for her sons, William and Harry. She has bravely taken on the role and has continued to bring some normalcy to the Palace, which many believe Diana would have liked very much.
These early days with a new baby are so precious so, hopefully, the growing family is taking some time away from the glare of the cameras to bond and lay the foundation of relationships that will last the rest of their lives.
Image Source: Wikipedia
