On Air Now
The Classic FM Concert with John Suchet 8pm - 10pm
Royal baby names in classical music
As speculation mounts over what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will name the royal baby, we couldn't resist having a look at the talented classical musicians who share their names with the most popular choices. The third in line to the throne's got some pretty musical role models in this lot…
-
1. George
George Gershwin, Georg Frideric Handel, Georg Solti… so many classical Georges, if the new arrival is a boy, the Prince of Cambridge will have some pretty musical namesakes.
-
2. James
James is among the favourite boys names for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's new baby, and you can't go far wrong being named after one of the world's best-known flautists, Sir James Galway. He's also one of the first flute players to establish an international career as a soloist.
-
3. Andrew
Sir Andrew Davis CBE is one of the most well-respected conductors in the classical world, and certainly has royal credentials. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992, became a Knight Bachelor in 1999, and even conducted a special Golden Jubilee concert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
-
4. Alexander
Both Alexander and Alexandra are hot favourites for the royal baby's name. If William and Kate are in need of classical inspiration, they should look no further than Alexander Borodin, the Russian Romantic composer, best-known for his opera Prince Igor.
-
5. Arthur
A royal name fit for the grandest of monarchs, and harking back to the legendary figure of King Arthur. He's so legendary, in fact, that Purcell wrote an opera about him in 1691.
-
-
6. Harold
Harold is the name of the Anglo-Saxon King of England, but cross the channel and Harold is also the star of Berlioz's second symphony, Harold in Italy. The music follows a story, inspired by the most British of poets, Lord Byron.
-
7. Charles
The royal couple could do far worse than naming a son after the composer with the most British name ever: Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. He's also a favourite among the royals - Prince Charles is a huge fan of the 'Jerusalem' composer.
-
8. Richard
Through Prince Charles' family, William is of German and British descent, and it doesn't get much more German than the great Richard Wagner. And as far as his operas are concerned, packed full of kings, gods and magic, Wagner's are some of the most dramatic you'll find.
-
9. Philip
As well as being named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, it could well be that the new Prince of Cambridge has a musical role model in one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century, Philip Glass. He's written a whole host of operas, symphonies, songs, and quartets, steeped in the principles of Minimalism.
-
10. Francis
Kate's father's middle name is Francis, and Princess Diana took the female equivalent, so the royal baby may be named after both. Unless, of course, the royal couple are a fan of French music, and they fancy naming their son or daughter after the brilliantly flamboyant composer Francis Poulenc.
-
-
11. John
From inspirational Renaissance composer John Taverner, to film music genius John Williams, classical music has seen its fair share of musical Johns through the years. And John certainly goes back a long way as a royal name - King John of England reigned from 1199 until his death in 1216.
-
12. Benjamin
How many King Benjamins have there been? Still, it's among the favourites for the royal baby name. We can only conclude the royal couple are planning to name the Prince of Cambridge after British composer Benjamin Britten - a fitting tribute in his centenary year.
-
13. Diana
In the opera world, it doesn't get much bigger than soprano Diana Damrau, famous for playing Mozart's ultimate royal operatic role, the Queen of the Night. And it's perhaps no surprise to learn that Diana is on the list of possible names, in memory of the late princess.
-
14. Elizabeth
It's the Queen's name, it's the Duchess of Cambridge's middle name, but this name also belongs to Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, the renowned Austrian/British soprano. She was much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss and Wolf.
-
15. Charlotte
Although she's moved on from her classical roots, Charlotte Church was the youngest artist with a No. 1 album on the classical crossover charts. Her royal credentials aren't quite up there though: In 2011, she claimed the Queen had 'no idea what is going on', but she's since apologised for this royal gaffe.
-
-
16. Alice
If the baby's called Alice, perhaps she'll follow in the musical footsteps of brilliant young pianist Alice Sara Ott? Alice also happens to be the name of Queen Victoria's second daughter and also the Duke of Edinburgh's mother.
-
17. Mary
Mary certainly has a royal pedigree, with Mary I (1516-1558) and Mary II (1662-1694) reigning under that name. Purcell was even inspired to write his popular Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary when the latter died.
-
18. Eleanor
Eleanor takes its roots from the Provençal name, Aliénor, which became Eléanor or Eleonore. From this comes the German form, Leonore - otherwise known as the title character in Beethoven's one and only opera, Fidelio.
-
19. Grace
It's been said that Kate's wedding dress mirrored that of Grace Kelly, but we've a much more musical reason for the Princess of Cambridge to be given this name: A grace note - a type of musical ornament, marking a shorter note before a longer note.
-
20. Catherine
Catherine Middleton's name originates from the Greek name Aikaterinē, which can be spelt with a C or a K (hence 'Kate' Middleton) - and it wouldn't be out of the question for the royal baby to take her mother's name and join a long line of royal Catherines. And there's certainly one Katherine who's made a dent on the classical world: Katherine Jenkins, the best-selling crossover singer.
