THE GODPARENTS
Louis has six godparents – one more than his sister and two fewer than his big brother.
Like his siblings, all of those chosen to lead the little prince through the Christian faith are close friends and family, with William and Kate once again eschewing the tradition of honouring a member of British nobility or a European royal with the title of godparent.
But why so many? The duke and duchess want their children to have plenty of love and support as they grow up, says Robert Jobson, royal editor of the Evening Standard newspaper. “There’s a feeling that because of their role as members of the royal family they need as many confidants as they can get apart from their parents.” Nicholas van Cutsem He’s been a fixture in the royal fold since birth. Nicholas’ dad, Norfolk horse breeder and millionaire Hugh van Cutsem, and William’s dad, Charles, struck up a friendship during their Cambridge days.
Formerly a major in the Household Cavalry Lifeguards, Nicholas (41) is now a wealthy international business developer. He’s married to Alice Hadden-Paton (37) and their daughter, Florence (3), was one of Harry and Meghan’s bridesmaids. Lady Laura Meade She’s known the royals since childhood thanks to the close friendship of her dad, the Earl of Romney, with Charles. Laura (28) is also a distant cousin of Charles’ wife, Camilla. Her husband, James (32), went to school with William and is one of Charlotte’s godparents. Guy Pelly Another of Will’s childhood pals, Guy (34), the son of Diana’s close friend Lady Carolyn Herbert, is known as the “court jester” for his wicked sense of humour. He and Harry infamously dressed up as Nazis in 2005. Guy, who’s married to Holiday Inn heiress Lizzy Wilson, now runs a string of nightclubs in London but he isn’t all about living the high life. He raised thousands of pounds for children in Uganda by running the London Marathon in 2016 in honour of his late schoolfriend Henry van Straubenzee, who died in a car accident. Hannah Carter She's has been a good friend of Kate since they met at their exclusive Wiltshire boarding school, Marlborough College. Hannah is married to Robert Carter, and William and Kate both went to their wedding. Harry Aubrey-Fletcher He attended Ludgrove School and Eton with William. Harry (36), who works in mergers and acquisitions at investment bank JP Morgan, wed Louise Stourton (36) in 2011 and William was one of the ushers. Lucy Middleton One of Kate’s cousins, Lucy (32) is close to the duchess – they spent a gap year together in Florence, Italy, where Lucy was studying Italian. She’s now a senior publishing lawyer at Penguin Random House.