Kate Beckinsale shares the name her father originally chose for her

Kate Beckinsale has revealed how she almost named "Gypsy" after her father — Porridge actor Richard Beckinsale — had a change of heart.

In an Instagram post, Beckinsale told how her father sent a telegram to her mother at the hospital saying: "Katie will not, do decided on Gypsy. Much love, Richard."

The Underworld actor also shared a picture of the telegram which featured a drawing of a stork, a baby and some flowers.

She also explained how she was going to be called either Katie or Gypsy: "My mum has been organising and found this - telegram from my dad to the hospital when I was born. They'd been trying to decide between two names, picked Kate and then he must have had buyer's remorse."

Read more: Kate Beckinsale pays tribute to late father

The actor added: "The compromise in the end was my middle name being Romany."

Beckinsale also opened up on the conflict of naming her own daughter: "I chose Ruby Tirian Sheen as my daughter's name the whole pregnancy and then when she was born she looked more like a Lily Mo."

She also said: "And then a brief panic right before registering when I wanted to call her Ethel. Funny old life #katiewilllnotdo."

Beckinsale also shared photos of her with her parents as a baby and also an image of her cradling her own daughter, who she shares with actor Michael Sheen.

Beckinsale previously revealed that she hadn't seen Lily Mo in two years due to travel restriction imposed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Lily Mo Sheen is also an actor and will be seen playing Nicolas Cage's daughter in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent which is due out this spring.

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Beckinsale's father was a successful actor, appearing in Porridge and Rising Damp, before dying suddenly of a heart attack at 31. Beckinsale was just five-years-old at the time.

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