Princess Charlotte to Be Christened in Church Where Princess Diana Was Baptized
— -- The newest member of Britain’s royal family, 1-month-old Princess Charlotte, will be christened in a private ceremony next month, royal officials said today.
Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Duchess Kate, will be christened July 5 at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate of her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
In choosing St. Mary Magdalene Church for Charlotte’s christening, Prince William and Kate are making a poignant nod to William's mother, as they did when they selected their daughter's name, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, was baptized at St. Mary Magdalene Church as a 2-month-old in 1961. Diana was born at Park House on the Sandringham Estate and grew up there as a young child.
St. Mary Magdalene Church is the parish church of the Queen on the Sandringham Estate and is where the royal family spends Christmas every year.
The church is also close to Anmer Hall, the 10-bedroom home also on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate where their Royal Highnesses William, Kate, Charlotte and big brother, Prince George, have been spending most of their time since Charlotte’s birth.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also presided over Prince George's christening, will conduct the ceremony, Kensington Palace officials also announced.
Princess Charlotte will wear the same christening gown worn by Prince George. The gown, remade by the Queen's dresser, Angela Kelly, in 2004, is an exact replica of the gown first commissioned by Queen Victoria 174 years ago and has been used for every generation of royal infants, totaling 62 royal babies in all.
Prince George, who will turn 2 less than three weeks after Charlotte's christening, was christened as a 3-month-old at St. James’s Palace in London. Only immediate family, godparents and their spouses were in attendance.
Princess Charlotte, the fourth-in-line to the British throne, was born May 2 at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
