Overview

• Grant Harrold, who served the then Prince of Wales from 2004 to 2011 at Highgrove House, said staff once expected Charles to take the regnal name George VII.
• Harrold suggested the choice of Charles III may reflect a desire to leave the name George for Prince George, who is second in line to the throne.
• The Royal Household has not confirmed Harrold’s account, which was reported from his book event by the Manchester Evening News and the Daily Mirror.
• British sovereigns may choose any of their given names upon accession, and Charles’s full name is Charles Philip Arthur George.
• Charles automatically became king on September 8, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, consistent with UK succession practice.