HEIRS & GRACES
Plans are underway for the christening of Prince Louis on July 9. Marion McMullen looks at the pomp and circumstance around naming royals
PRINCE Louis, left, the youngest member of the royal family, will be christened at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London on Monday. Louis, the younger brother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is fifth in line to the throne and a great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.
PRINCE George was also christened in the Chapel Royal, but Charlotte was baptised at the Church Of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham in a private service. Prince George was three months old and Princess Charlotte only nine weeks at their christenings. Prince Louis will be 11 weeks old.
PRINCESS Charlotte was pushed to her christening in a vintage 1950s silver-wheeled Millson pram that was once used for the Queen’s youngest children Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
PRINCE Louis will be christened in the same frilly cream gown worn by both his brother and sister. The robe is a replica of the intricate lace and satin dress made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1841. The original was last used in 2004 and is too delicate now to be worn. The replica was created by Queen Elizabeth’s dresser Angela Kelly.
CHRISTENINGS for Windsor babies are conducted behind closed doors, except for Princess Eugenie’s. She became the first royal baby to have a public christening, during morning service at the Church Of St Mary Magdalene at Sandringham in 1990 when she was nine months old.
ACCORDING to tradition, the water used for Prince Louis’s christening will be holy water from the River Jordan, where it is said Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. He will be christened using the ornate silver gilt Lily Font, pictured left, part of the Crown Jewels.
THE Lily Font, decorated with lilies and ivy foliage around the rim, was specially commissioned by Queen Victoria to prevent her children being tarnished by association with the illegitimate offspring of Charles II, who were all born out of wedlock and christened using the previous Charles II Font.
QUEEN Victoria’s own mother, the Duchess of Kent, broke down sobbing during her daughter’s christening in 1819 when a cantankerous Prince Regent refused to allow her to name the young royal Georgiana and insisted she be called Alexandrina Victoria instead.
EXTRAVAGANCE used to be the order of the day. Queen Victoria staged a lavish celebration at Windsor for the christening of her son, the future Edward VII, in 1842. She wore her Sovereign of the Garter robes and a diamond tiara. A long day of grand events included a state banquet and a christening cake more than 8ft in diameter.
GUESTS are likely to be served a slice of William and Kate’s wedding cake after the christening – just as they were at the christenings of George and Charlotte. The cake, designed by Fiona Caines, was made from 17 individual fruit cakes in eight tiers.