Buckingham Palace press releases
CHRISTENING OF LADY LOUISE WINDSOR8 April 2004
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN
The christening of Lady Louise Windsor will take place at the private chapel at Windsor, on Saturday 24th April.
The godparents chosen by The Earl and Countess of Wessex for their daughter will be Lady Sarah Chatto, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Lady Alexandra Etherington, Mrs Francesca Schwarzenbach and Mr Rupert Elliott.
Note for Editors:
This is a private christening. One official photograph, taken by Patrick Lichfield, will be released to the media on the day via Camera Press.
Royal christenings
Christenings in the Royal Family have traditionally been private occasions, attended by family, godparents and close friends, (with the exception of The Queen's grand daughter, Princess Eugenie of York, who was christened during morning service at the church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, on 23 December 1990).
The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth (b. 21 April 1926), was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 29 May 1926 in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace, by the Archbishop of York, Cosmo Gordon Lang.
Her godparents were: her paternal grandparents King George V and Queen Mary; her maternal grandfather the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne; her aunts Mary, Princess Royal, and Lady Elphinstone; and her great-great-uncle Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.
The Queen's three eldest children were all christened in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace.
Prince Charles (b. 14 November 1948) was christened Charles Philip Arthur George on 15 December 1948 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher.
His godparents were: his grandfather King George VI; his great-grandmother Queen Mary; his aunt Princess Margaret; his paternal great-grandmother Victoria, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven; his great-uncle the Hon. David Bowes-Lyon; Lady Brabourne, daughter of Earl Mountbatten of Burma; and his great-uncles King Haakon of Norway and Prince George of Greece, neither of whom was able to attend the ceremony.
Princess Anne (b. 15 August 1950) was christened Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise on 21 October 1950 by the Archbishop of York, Cyril Forster Garbett.
Her godparents were: her grandmother Queen Elizabeth; her paternal grandmother Princess Andrew of Greece; her aunt Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (elder sister of the Duke of Edinburgh); Earl Mountbatten of Burma; and the Rev. the Hon. Andrew Elphinstone.
Prince Andrew (b. 19 February 1960) was christened Andrew Albert Christian Edward on 8 April 1960 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher.
His godparents were: his great-uncle Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; Princess Alexandra; Lord Elphinstone; the Earl of Euston; and Mrs Harold Phillips.
Prince Edward (b. 10 March 1964) was christened Edward Antony Richard Louis on 2 May 1964 in the Private Chapel, Windsor Castle, by the Dean of Windsor, Robert Woods.
His godparents were: Prince Richard of Gloucester (now Duke of Gloucester); the Duchess of Kent; his uncle the Earl of Snowdon; Princess George of Hanover; and Prince Louis of Hesse.
Prince William of Wales (b. 21 June 1982) was christened William Arthur Philip Louis on 4 August 1982 in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie.
His godparents were: King Constantine II of the Hellenes; Lord Romsey; Sir Laurens van der Post; Princess Alexandra; the Duchess of Westminster; and Lady Susan Hussey, Lady in Waiting to The Queen.
Prince Henry of Wales (b. 15 September 1984) was christened Henry Charles Albert David on 21 December 1984 in St Georges Chapel, Windsor, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie.
His godparents were: his uncle the Duke of York; Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones; Lady Vestey; Mrs William Bartholomew; Mr Bryan Organ; and Mr Gerald Ward.
Peter Phillips (b. 15 November 1977) was christened Peter Mark Andrew Phillips on 22 December 1977 in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Donald Coggan.
His godparents were: his uncle the Prince of Wales; the Rt Rev. Geoffrey Tiarks; Captain Hamish Lochare; Lady Cecil Cameron of Lochiel; and Mrs Timothy Holderness-Roddam.
Zara Phillips (b. 15 May 1981) was christened Zara Anne Elizabeth on 27 July 1981 in the Private Chapel, Windsor Castle, by the Dean of Windsor, the Rt Rev. Michael Mann.
Her godparents were: her uncle the Duke of York; the Countess of Lichfield; Mrs Jackie Stewart; Colonel Andrew Parker- Bowles; and Mr Hugh Thomas.
Princess Beatrice of York (b. 8 August 1988) was christened Beatrice Elizabeth Mary on 20 December 1988 in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, by the Archbishop of York.
Her godparents were: Viscount Linley; Peter Palumbo; the Duchess of Roxburghe; Mrs Harry Cottrell; and Mrs John Greenall.
Princess Eugenie of York (b. 23 March 1990) was christened Eugenie Victoria Helena on 23 December 1990 at the church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, by the Bishop of Norwich.
Her godparents were: James Ogilvy; Captain Alastair Ross; Mrs Ronald Ferguson; Mrs Patrick Dodd-Noble; and Miss Louise Blacker.
Royal Christening Robe
The Royal christening robe, of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, was made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal.
In 1894 the robe was given by Queen Victoria to the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary), all of whose children were christened in it.
In the next generation it was worn by the children of King George VI, of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and of Prince George, Duke of Kent.
The children of The Queen and of Princess Margaret were christened in it, and it has subsequently been used for the christenings of all The Queens grandchildren and other Royal babies, including the grand children of Princess Margaret.
