The third in line to the throne, who was born on Monday at 16:24 BST, will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

The Queen was told of Prince George’s name when she met him for the first time on Wednesday.

The family are at the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, after spending a night at Kensington Palace.

George was the bookmakers’ favourite for the first name of the prince.

The duke and duchess had been expected to pick a traditional royal name for their son, who was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London, weighing 8lbs 6oz.

Royal infants usually have historical names which are passed down through the generations.

 

The duke and duchess gave the world its first glimpse of Prince George on Tuesday

 

 

The duke joked that his son had “got a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure”.

 

 

Prince George is the first child for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – and is third in line to the throne

 

 

The duke and duchess left hospital on Tuesday night for Kensington Palace, which is expected to be their new home

 

 There were celebrations across the country on news of the prince’s birth, including a 62-gun salute outside the Tower of London

 

 

 On Wednesday morning, the Queen met her great-grandson for the first time and was told his name then

 

 

Other Georges to have been king include George III (L), George V and the Queen’s father, George VI (R)

 

 

 Now the name has been announced, the Prince George merchandise will be rolling off the conveyor belt

There have been six King Georges up to now, most recently the Queen’s father, although his first name was Albert and he was known to his family as Bertie.

The name Louis is Prince William’s fourth name and is likely to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947.

The prince’s other middle name – Alexander – is one that three medieval Scottish kings have had, and was also the name of the famous 4th Century ruler Alexander the Great. The Queen’s middle name is Alexandra.