This summer was full of anticipation as we were all glued to our TV’s when Britain finally welcomed bouncing baby boy, HRH Prince George Alexander Louis, into the world. The excitement has not stopped as we recently witnessed more media hype, this time surrounding George’s Royal christening.
The christening of His Royal Highness was an intimate affair of only 22 guests and attended by no less than four generations of the Royal family. Despite being a small event, it of course included all the accoutrements of a Royal occasion. The ceremony was held in the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace, the chapel where Princess Diana rested before her funeral in 1997 and the place where Elizabeth I prayed in the face of the Spanish Armada for the defence of the realm, which one day will be Prince George’s.
Looking chubby cheeked and gorgeous, the cute baby George was dressed in a delicate white satin and ivory Honiton lace gown that is an exact replica of the gown worn 172 years ago by the first born of Queen Victoria. As George was carried into the chapel, William remarked; ‘Perfect timing. He’s just gone quiet’, and so he remained throughout the ceremony.
Although our attention was captured by our new man of the moment, his yummy mummy can never get away with making an appearance and not being noticed. Kate Middleton looked a picture of elegance, as usual, as she dressed up to celebrate her son’s christening. Wearing a cream Alexander McQueen dress, her ruffles melded perfectly alongside her son’s christening robe. Auntie Pippa also looked great as she flashed her pins in a cream Suzannah Crabb Coat, suede heels and gorgeous fascinator and even James Middleton was in the spirit of things as he sported a beard that very much resembled that of George V. The Queen also looked graceful in a periwinkle blue outfit with a ruby and diamond brooch pinned to her coat. The brooch was a gift from her father George VI in 1948 to mark the birth of Prince Charles and evidently stood as a personal acknowledgement of the woman who has brought normality and harmony to the lives of two future kings.
Meet the godparents! As if the average amount of only two godparents could ever be enough for someone with such importance. Instead Kate and William opted for SEVEN godparents for George, accommodating a broader mix of friends and family. The couple chose a variety of close friends, family and aristocrats to take on the role; Emilia Jardine-Paterson was once seen as a possible bride for William and attended St Andrews University with Kate, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton who became William and Harry’s Private Secretary in 2005, Zara Tindall who is a close cousin of William, William’s good friend Wiliam Van Cutsem, Julia Samuel who became a close friend of Princess Diana after meeting in 1987, Hugh Grosvenor the son of the 6th Duke of Westminster and finally William’s housemate from their time at St Andrews, Oli Baker.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall then welcomed the guests to a champagne reception at Clarence House after the service, where guests enjoyed slices of one of the tiers from the Duke and Duchess’s wedding cake which had been saved for the occasion.
Almost 400 years will have passed since the first King George reigned by the time little Prince George will succeed to the throne as George VII. What will be in store for his new Georgian era?