The "Seinfeld" Prince

In the aftermath of news that Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has given birth to a baby boy that will someday become the King of England, a thought occurs:  As third in line to the throne, that kid will be waiting decades behind (in ascending order) father Prince William and grandfather Prince Charles.  However all of them will have to wait until Queen Elizabeth II's reign is over.  She recently celebrated her 61st year on the throne, and show no signs of slowing down.

The name of the future king is George Alexander Louis, or Prince George of Cambridge.  The name might be a tribute to British monarchs of the past, but it sounds like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge might also have been fans of the 1990s sitcom "Seinfeld".  Let's break it down:

• George is for George Costanza.
• Alexander is for Jason Alexander, who played Costanza.
• Louis is for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes on the show.

Whether it was intentional or not, the new prince has a lot riding on his shoulders.  Royalty may not be what it used to be, reduced to figureheads who don't do much except sit in huge palaces, do charity work and become fodder for the tabloids.

There have been six kings named George in British history.  Two of them who stood out were George III, who managed the feat of losing the American colonies.  George VI was the last man to rule prior to Elizabeth II, having ascended to the throne in the wake of Edward VIII's abdication so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936.  George VI served during the World War II era and afterwards until his death in 1952.

The person missing from all this is Princess Diana, Prince George's grandmother.  She was singled out by a celebrity-obsessed public and media because of her seemingly fairy-tale romance with Prince Charles, the details of her personal life breathlessly chronicled by Fleet Street, until she was in a fatal car accident caused in part by the very same celebrity-obsessed media.  Thanks to her, the royal family will never know another moment's peace.

By the time George VII becomes King sometime during the second half of the 21st century, we will know a lot more about him than any other ruler in history.  Will he accept his role with dignity and grace?  Or will he be just like George Costanza?