To wonder whether, as per this claim, Annabel was really seen as a 'yuppie' name in the 80s?

[Giselle374]

I read Lady Colin Campbell's book a while ago about Harry & Meghan. A lot of the claims seemed ridiculous- they can certainly be criticised but the book went beyond reasonable. Anyway, one of the points I found odd was that Campbell claimed naming rules have always been very strict for royals, and mentioned an earlier name choice for Beatrice being vetoed.
I googled and found this choice was Annabel, which the Queen apparently vetoed for being 'too yuppie'. Was it really seen that way in the 80s or was this just some eccentricity of hers? I was born early 2000s and knew quite a few Annabels and Isabel/Isabellas, also one Arabella. It just seemed like a classic name, hardly one to complain about.
Not a traditional royal one : but then she was OK with Zara.

(Not the main point, but while I think they were wrong to choose Lilibet, I didn't agree with Campbell's argument that the Annabel veto meant the Queen remained just as strict in the 2010s. She clearly wasn't if she allowed Savannah, Sienna and Mia, all nice names but arguably more non traditional than Annabel)

Loads of Sloanes-men and women- went to University. They were called Yahs at mine.

I’m a bit too young for the Sloane rangers, but we called them Rahs or thr pink pashmina brigade. There were no Annabels that I remember. That name is a generation older. They were more likely to be called Cordelia and Hugo.

I seem to remember cordon bleu cooking courses being a popular Sloane choice after A Levels, as an alternative to university.

Annabelle was very yuppie. As was Arrabelle/a.

Annabel spelt this more classically English way perhaps slightly better?

I’ve never heard of Isobel/ Isabelle/ Isabella being seen as yuppie though.

His full name was Albert Edward (named for his father and his grandfather Prince Edward Duke of Kent), and Queen Victoria's wish and intention was that he would rule as King Albert or possibly as King Albert Edward. But when he ascended to the throne, he chose the regnal name Edward.

Annabel wasn't a yuppie name in the early 80s, it was a sloane ranger name. Yuppies were the new urban professionals, some of them sounded sloaney but mostly they were the upwardly mobile from a wide range of backgrounds.

Sloanes were already upper class or upper middle class and had names like Annabel, Arrabella, Minty (Araminta), Camilla, Diana, Henrietta, Tory (Victoria) etc.

Peak Sloane was well before the massive expansion of universities.

I agree Queen Camilla sounds odd. I think Queen Diana would have sounded strange too, as will Queen Kate (although Queen Catherine is OK).

100% agree. In point of fact, wouldn’t the Princess of Wales’ family have been considered Yuppie with their occupation? Deffo not Sloane.

Yes, that would make sense...

No, not really. Not young or urban enough.