Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was baptized at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on Sunday, July 5.
The special occasion marks the first time that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte greeted the public as a family of four. The Cambridges made the short walk from Sandringham House to the church, with Prince George holding on to his father's hand, while the two-month old princess was pushed in a traditional silver-wheeled pram by her mother. The pram was once used by the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.
For the christening, Princess Charlotte wore a hand-made replica of the original royal christening robe, made by Angela Kelly. Prince George wore red shorts and a white smocked shirt with red embroidery — an outfit that was very similar to what Prince William wore to meet his little brother Prince Harry for the first time in 1984. The duke donned a navy suit and a red tie, while the duchess chose a bespoke Alexander McQueen cream coat dress for the event and accessorized with cream-colored hat and shoes.
The royal couple chose five godparents for their daughter: Adam Middleton, who is the duchess' cousin; The Hon. Laura Fellowes, who is Princess Diana's niece and the duke's cousin; James Mead, who has been close friends with Prince William since they attended Eton together; Sophie Carter, a longtime friend of the duchess; and Thomas van Straubenzee, who has been friends with the duke since they attended Ludgrove prep school in Berkshire together.
Thousands of well-wishers travelled to St. Mary's to catch a glimpse of the royals. The Palace said that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were pleased to welcome well-wishers and were "delighted" that the paddock could be made available. This is the first time that the christening of a senior member of the royal family has involved the public in any way, and it was a much more public affair than Prince George's christening in 2013.
The service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most Reverend Justin Whelby, who was assisted by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Riviere, Rector of the Sandringham group of parishes. The baptism took place at the Lily font, a silver gilt vessel which is part of the Crown Jewels and has been used for almost all royal christenings since 1841. It was reported that water from the River Jordan, where Christ was baptized by John the Baptist, has been flown to Britain for the ceremony — a tradition in royal christenings.
Official photographs were taken by Mario Testino — a favorite of the late Princess Diana — and it is expected that the photos will be shared to the public in a few days.
