#TBT: A Royal Christening
- princegeorgepieces
- May 22, 2014
- 2 min read
George was christened October 23, 2013, in a very small, private affair. It was officiated by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby. As the future king, George will one day be Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The christening took place at the Chapel Royal at St. James Palace. The choice of location is very significant because Diana’s coffin rested at the Chapel before her funeral.
The service was beautifully thought out. The christening processional began with Bach’s Fantasia in G. Wills and Kate included their siblings; Prince Harry read a lesson from John 15:1-5, and Pippa read Luke 18:15-17. The Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, who sang at the royal wedding, sang the anthem, "Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand," which was written for Wills’ christening. How sweet! Other hymns at the christening included “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by John Rutter, “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”, and “Be Thou My Vision”. The recessional was Widor’s “Toccata from Symphony No. 5”. It seems likely that Prince Charles may have lent a hand in these selections as he did at the royal wedding. As with any other infant's baptism, Welby marked the Prince with the sign of the cross on his forehead then splashed water on George’s head.
Fun facts about the christening: The silver font used for George's baptism has been used for every royal christening since 1841. He was christened with water from the River Jordan. George has a wonderful support group of seven godparents named - Zara Phillips, Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, William van Cutsem, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, and Earl Grosvenor. Following the service, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall held a private tea at Clarence House where guests were served slices of William and Kate’s 2011 wedding cake. Four official christening portraits by Jason Bell commemorating this event were later released.
The replica christening gown was brought into use in 2008 to help preserve the 170-year-old original. The original gown was used for every royal christening, including those of Prince William and his father, Charles, until the replica gown was commissioned. If your looking to copy George’s intricate and vintage inspired outfit, PGP loves this Piccolo Bacio Trina christening gown or one of the more affordable options at Shepherds Cradle. The gown worn by Prince George will be on display at Buckingham Palace this summer.
Following the christening a small reception was held at Clarence House, the official London residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
* Photo via Jason Bell
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