Prince George Was Christened At The Chapel Royal At St James's Palace In October 2013
Although Prince William and Kate Middleton followed royal protocol when little Prince George made his grand entrance into the world and ensured the late Queen Elizabeth II was the first to know about his birth, the new parents decided to do things differently for his christening three months later…
On October 23rd, 2013, Prince George was christened in an intimate ceremony at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, wearing a handmade replica of the christening gown originally worn by Queen Victoria's daughter back in 1841.
Following the service, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a private tea at Clarence House, where guests were treated to slices of christening cake made from a tier of Prince William and Kate's wedding cake. Aww! So far, so traditional; so what exactly was it that broke royal protocol?
How Did Prince George's Christening Break With Royal Tradition?
According to royal expert and Courtiers author Valentine Low, the service itself was "in many respects, a very traditional royal christening." However, the Cambridges did things a little differently when it came to selecting George's godparents.
Rather than filling the list with senior royals and aristocrats, as has been the custom for generations, only one of the seven godparents Prince William and Kate chose was from the royal family. Low noted that this "represented something of a break with tradition."
Prince William's own godparents, for what it's worth, included King Constantine II of Greece, Princess Alexandra, and Lord Romsey, the grandson of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. By contrast, the only royal godparent for Prince George is William's cousin, Zara Tindall. The less-than-traditional godparent selection is a sweet way that Prince William and Kate have proven that they value genuine friendships over formality, not to mention another hint at what could be to come for the monarchy in the next few decades.
The rest of Prince George's godparents are among the couple's closest friends, and people who have played meaningful roles in their lives, rather than ceremonial ones. Among them are Julia Samuel, a psychotherapist and dear friend of the late Princess Diana, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, one of Kate's closest school friends, Oliver Baker, a fellow St Andrews alum, and William van Cutsem, a long-time family friend of the royals.
William And Kate Broke Tradition For Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis' Christenings Too
The couple kept the same modern approach when it came to their younger children too. Princess Charlotte, who was christened at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in July 2015, also has a line-up of godparents made up entirely of close friends and loved ones.
Her five godparents include Thomas van Straubenzee and James Meade (both close friends of William's), Kate's cousin Adam Middleton, Sophie Carter (a long-time friend of Kate's), and Laura Fellowes, who is Princess Diana's niece.
Prince Louis' christening in July 2018 also followed the same pattern. He was christened at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, just like his big brother, and his six godparents were also chosen from the couple's inner circle.
They include Nicholas van Cutsem, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, Lady Laura Meade, Guy Pelly, Lucy Middleton, and Hannah Carter, who are all personal friends of William and Kate!