
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex attends a reception at Diamond Jubilee Reception at Guildhall in London, June 5, 2012.
There have been no fewer than eleven King Edwards in English history, dating back to Edward the Elder (c. 871-924), with the most recent being Edward VIII (1894-1972), who abdicated in disgrace after refusing to end his relationship with the American socialite Wallis Simpson. Edward III (1312-1377) did much to reshape England into a military power (undoing much of the damage done by his father, Edward II). But perhaps the biggest factor in favor of Edward would be that the name is a nod to his uncle, the youngest of Queen Elizabeth II’s four children. At the time of his birth in 1964, Edward, now Earl of Wessex, was third in line to the throne. But unlike Prince Edward, Kate and William’s child will have every chance of becoming King.