Princess Beatrice almost given completely different name but Queen Elizabeth disapproved

Princess Beatrice’s name was apparently up for debate when she was born, with Queen Elizabeth II reportedly dissuading her parents from calling the child what they initially wanted.

It may seem like there are endless members of the British royal family to remember. However, there are only 18 living princes and princesses by birthright, with a further six women who have become princesses by marriage.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, fits into the latter category, while Beatrice, Princess of York, who turned 37 today (August 8), was born into her role.

In 1998, Beatrice was welcomed into the world at Portland Hospital in London to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duke and Duchess of York.

Upon the child’s birth, Queen Elizabeth was made a grandmother for a fifth time - but did you know she did not initially approve of her grandchild’s original moniker?

Beatrice, Princess of York, was originally going to be called something different, according to reports (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

You may or may not know that Beatrice apparently wasn’t Andrew and Fergie’s first choice of name at all.

The Mirror reports that the pair, who divorced in 1996, had an ‘informal’ chat with Her Majesty the Queen, where they informed her they’d be naming their firstborn daughter Princess Annabel.

According to the outlet, the Duchess had her heart set on Annabel, but Elizabeth allegedly believed it was ‘too yuppie’ for a Windsor.

Whether or not the Queen had anything to do with it, Annabel was thrown out, and the Princess was named Beatrice Elizabeth Mary instead.

Her name, however, was not announced to the public by Buckingham Palace until two weeks after her birth.

Beatrice’s full name is steeped in history, with her forename paying homage to Queen Victoria’s fifth daughter and youngest child.

According to English Heritage, Beatrice was her ‘mother’s favourite’ and spent much of her life at Osborne House.

It's alleged that Beatrice's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had a hand in throwing out her original name (Indigo/Getty Images)

After the death of her husband, Prince Henry of Battenberg, Beatrice succeeded him as Governor of the Isle of Wight.

The modern-day Princess Beatrice’s first middle name, Elizabeth, is thought to be a tribute to her grandmother and her great-grandmother.

It’s believed Mary is inspired by Andrew’s great-grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck, wife of King George V and also Sarah’s late mother, Susan Barrantes, whose middle name was Mary.

Princess Beatrice celebrates her birthday just weeks after she and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, toasted to five years of marriage.

The pair, who reportedly began dating after the wedding of Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie, got married at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, on July 17, 2020.

The pair share two daughters, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, born in September 2021, and newborn Athena Elizabeth Rose, welcomed in January 2025.

Beatrice is also a stepmother to Christopher ‘Wolfie’ Woolf, whom her husband shares with ex-partner and American architect Dara Huang.