ROYAL BABY: Here’s a look at the christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England…
BACKGROUND:
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge was born May 2, 2015. Revisit our related posts here:
- ROYAL BABY: The arrival of the Princess of Cambridge!
- ROYAL BABY: It’s a girl!
- ROYALTY: Kate and William’s Kensington Palace home in London – Apartment 1A
- ROYALTY: Kate Middleton’s maternity style for royal baby number two
The little princess is fourth in line to the British throne, potentially succeeding her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after her paternal grandfather Charles, her father William, and older brother George.
If more brothers join the family, they no longer take precedence since changes to the succession law were effected in 2015.
Prince George with his baby sister Princess Charlotte,
photographed by their mother, Kate Middleton now
the Duchess of Cambridge, around May-June 2015
Her current title is Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, but this would change if her father became Prince of Wales (the title is currently held by Prince Charles), or later King of England.
Read more about her lineage, including the Spencer family, via Wikipedia.
The location
- St Mary Magdalene is a 16th-century church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, one of the Queen’s country homes, and the church where she attends every Christmas.
- The Queen’s home at Sandringham and the church nearby is a 2.5 hour drive from Kensington Palace in London, but only 7 minutes from the Cambridge family’s country home at Anmer Hall, also on the Sandringham Estate.
- Various members of the royal family have been christened here, including King George VI who was baptised in February 1896, Princess Diana (not yet a member of the family but living at Park House on the Sandringham estate) in 1961, and most recently Princess Eugenie of York in December 1990.
- Learn more about the church here.
MAP: Relationship of Sandringham Estate, Norfolk to
Anmer Hall, home of the Cambridge family
(Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Princess Charlotte)
MAP: Relationship of Sandringham Estate, Norfolk (right) to St Mary Magdalene Church
(left) where Princess Charlotte was christened – July 5, 2015
The church is in the bottom right of this map, number 17, and the main house is number 12.
The event:
- The young Cambridge family of four arrived on foot, walking along the path from the main house with Kate pushing a large traditional silver wheeled Millson pram which had been used by Queen Elizabeth for Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, when they were children.
- Prince George wore an outfit of red shorts and a white embroidered shirt which had been made to resemble the outfit of his father Prince William as a toddler when he visited the hospital after Prince Harry was born in 1984. Prince George turns two on July 22, 2015.
- It was mostly a small half-hour private event held at the church, with around 3500 members of the public allowed to watch from an adjacent field, some of whom had camped for days.
- The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated the service, with a choir.
- Hymns included “Praise to the Lord, The Almighty”, and “Come Down, O Love Divine” and two anthems by
John Rutter were sung by members of the Sandringham Church Choir, as well as Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Prelude on ‘Rhosymedre’ – processional organ music which William and Kate selected for their marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey and which featured at the wedding of William’s parents the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981, as well as Handel’s Overture and Allegro from Concerto VIII in A, performed on the organ. - Charlotte was baptised using water brought in from the River Jordan and the 174-year-old silver gilt Lily Font, normally housed in the Tower of London where it is kept alongside the Crown Jewels. The font was commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840.
- After the service, a private tea was hosted by Queen Elizabeth at Sandringham which included sandwiches and tea, as well as slices from one of the eight tiers from the fruitcake served at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011.
- Official photos were taken by acclaimed fashion photographer, Mario Testino and will be released sometime in the next week.
- Flowers brought by well-wishers will be given to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, a charity that the Duchess of Cambridge has supported since January 2012.
- The Royal Mint have released a £5 christening coin in Princess Charlotte’s honour:
Who was there?
- Parents and siblings: William, Kate, George and Charlotte
- Great grandparents: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
- Grandparents: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
- Grandparents, aunt and uncle: Carole Middleton, Michael Middleton, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton
- God parents: Sophie Carter, James Meade and his wife Lady Laura Marsham, Adam Middleton and his wife Rebecca, Laura Fellowes and her husband Nick Pettman, Thomas van Straubenzee and his wife Lady Melissa van Straubenzee.
- Nanny: Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.
Note: Prince Harry is currently in Nambia for 3 months.
Frockage:
- Charlotte wore a replica of the traditional satin and Honiton lace christening gown made in 1841 for Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter, also named Victoria, and at least 62 royal babies wore the original gown. The replica is the same outfit worn by Prince George at his christening a couple of years ago.
Princess Elizabeth, now the Queen, with her parents then the
Duke and Duchess of York, later George VI and Queen
Elizabeth, at her christening in 1926
Prince Charles’ christening in 1948 with his mother Princess Elizabeth
(now the Queen), grandfather George VI and great-grandmother Queen Mary
Prince William with parents Charles and Diana wore the
original christening gown for his event in 1982
- Her mother, Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, wore a long-sleeved, knee-length ivory/cream coat dress by British designer Alexander McQueen, with Mappin & Webb jewellery and a Jane Taylor hat, similar to the outfit she wore for Prince George’s christening – see it here. The shoes look like her trusty favourites, L.K. Bennett.
- Her aunt, Pippa Middleton wore a bespoke Emilia Wickstead high-necked cream coat dress, with patent nude heels and a custom-made straw cocktail hat from Jane Taylor.
- Her grandmother Carole Middleton also wore cream.
Michael and Carole Middleton, with brother James in the back,
talking to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
James Middleton, Kate’s brother
- Her great grandmother, the Queen, wore a pale lilac floral dress.
- Her step-grandmother, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, wore a pale blue dress.
- Buy Alexander McQueen and via Matches Fashion and Net-A-Porter.
- Buy LK Bennett shoes via Nordstrom, House of Fraser and ShopBop.
- Buy Emilia Wickstead via Moda Operandi and Matches Fashion.
Revisit Prince George’s christening, and see related royal posts here:
The godparents:
- Kate Middleton’s cousin, Adam Middleton
- Prince William’s cousin, Laura Fellowes, a member of the Spencer family, and niece of Princess Diana
- Prince William’s friend, James Meade
- Prince William’s friend, Thomas van Straubenzee
- Kate Middleton’s friend, Sophie Carter
Read more about them via Hello! and the Daily Mail.
Scroll through these photos for even more, including some adorable ones of Prince George getting tired like most toddlers would!
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Cheers, Natasha
www.myLusciousLife.com
