Prince Louis will be christened today surrounded by royals; Meghan Markle won't be godmother
Prince Louis's christening will take place on Monday (July 9) at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. For the first time, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be seen with their family of five. The guest list for the ceremony includes The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Middleton, Mr. and Mrs. James Matthews, and Mr. James Middleton. The palace also announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen five people to be named as godparents of Prince Louis. All of them are close friends or family member of Kate Middleton.
The following people have been chosen to be the godparents: Mr. Nicholas van Cutsem, Mr. Guy Pelly, Mr. Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, The Lady Laura Meade, Mrs. Robert Carter, and Miss Lucy Middleton. Prince Louis will wear the handmade replica of the Royal Christening Robe, made by Angela Kelly, Dressmaker to The Queen for the ceremony. The Lily Font and water from the River Jordan will be used during the baptism.
Following the ceremony, Prince William and Kate have invited the guests for a private tea at Clarence House. Guests will be served slices of christening cake, which is a tier taken from The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake. The Royal Christening Robe that will be used for Prince Louis Christening has a significant connection with the royal family.
The robe is made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, was made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal. It was subsequently worn for all Royal christenings, including The Queen, her children, and her grandchildren, until the youngest of The Queen's eight grandchildren, James, Viscount Severn. The Queen commissioned Angela Kelly to make a replica of the gown in order to preserve the original.
James, Viscount Severn, was the first member of the Royal Family to wear this replica gown at his christening at the private chapel at Windsor Castle on 19th April 2008. Meanwhile, The Lily Font also holds importance to the family from the time of its inception. The Lily Font is a silver baptismal font which was commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 after the birth of their first child, Victoria, Princess Royal.
It was first used at The Princess Royal’s christening in 1841 and has been a feature of Royal christenings since then. The Duchess of Cambridge and William welcomed their baby boy on May 23. A tweet made on the Kensington Palace account announced the birth of Prince Louis."Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs," the tweet read. "The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth."