What's in a name? King Charles III's name has loaded history

Some observers thought that King Charles III might prefer a different name because of the historical baggage associated with the two previous British monarchs called Charles. Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Britain’s new monarch is named King Charles III – but that was not inevitable.

Charles Philip Arthur George could have chosen another royal name when he took the throne after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on Sept 8. While the queen used her first given name, her father, King George VI, was named Albert Frederick Arthur George and called Bertie by friends and family.