Royal Baby Bombshells: London Mayor Suggests Naming Her(!) Boris—and There Was a Royal Birth This Month!

London Zoo welcomed a new Francois' langur monkey to its Royal Baby Trail, a series of exhibits so named in honor of the human baby that should be coming any day now

By Natalie Finn Jul 18, 2013 10:15 PMTags
Boris Johnson, Kate Middleton, Prince WilliamBen Stansall/AFP/Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

It turns out there has been a royal birth already this month.

With the world busy anxiously awaiting the arrival of Kate Middleton and Prince William's first child, an anticipated blessed event that has photographers camped outside London's St. Mary's Hospital (and now outside the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, just in case), baby Chúa quietly made her debut weeks ago.

At ZSL London Zoo.

Her name meaning "princess" in Vietnamese, Chúa—a rare François' langur monkey—was born a few weeks ago, joining the other animals on the zoo's "Royal Baby Trail," so named this summer in honor of the human baby that's due to be born to Will and Kate any moment now (or by July 28). Each animal exhibit with a baby in it is currently marked by a "Royal Zoo Baby" crest.

But Chúa is a little bit more royal than just any old adorable baby on the trail—she has almost golden-colored fur and a crown-like tuft atop her head.

Even the human royal baby isn't going to be born already wearing a crown!

ZSL/Jo Iredale

Speaking of Homo sapiens again, the Museum of London currently boasts an exhibit of clothing worn by previous royal babies (it only seems as if Kate's baby is the first one to be born, ever), including booties worn by Queen Victoria's children, Princess BeatricePrincess Alice and Prince Leopold, and a lace mitten belonging to King George III.

Verdict: Baby clothes are cute from any century.

museumoflondon.org.uk

There are also more than 50 photographs of past royal babies on display at The Athenaeum hotel. Sandringham Estate, a favorite getaway of Queen Elizabeth, where Prince Charles amassed many a childhood memory, is open to tours, as is Windsor Castle.

And as wagers continue to be made as to when this kid is going to arrive, whether the child will be a boy or a girl and what Will and Kate plan to name the little prince or princess, London Mayor Boris Johnson has offered his two pence about the royal baby's name.

Asked during a Q&A session on Twitter what he thought the royal baby's name should be, the quirky politico offered: "I've always thought Boris is a nice name for a girl! #AskBoris."

Now wouldn't that be something. Also, does Johnson know something we don't? He didn't even mention the idea of baby Boris being a boy!