Prince George christening: Archbishop of Canterbury speaks for the first time

Prince George’s christening will happen tomorrow and the Archbishop of Canterbury – the Most Reverend Justin Welby – spoke for the first time about the “extraordinary moment” when he will baptize Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby son.

In a message released by Lambeth Palace, the Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke of the “great times” Prince William and Kate Middleton will have as parents in the years to come.

The 45-minute christening service will take place on Wednesday, October 23, at 3 p.m. at the Chapel Royal within St James’s Palace.

The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop in what he called a celebration of “the next hugely important moment” in Prince George’s life.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had so much advice they could probably fill a house with it.

“My message to them would be <<what a treat, what an amazing gift, what wonderful times you will have>>.

“A few months ago millions of people around the world celebrated the birth of Prince George.

“Now we’re celebrating the next hugely important moment, which is his christening.”

Beneath the ornate Hans Holbein ceiling of the Chapel Royal, the third-in-line to the throne and future supreme governor of the Church of England will be christened George Alexander Louis.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “I will mark Prince George with the sign of the cross on his forehead and that’s exactly what every priest always does every single baptism.

“It’s an extraordinary moment because that is the sign by which we understand this person belongs to God.

“There’ll be great times, there’ll be tough times – there always are with children.

“Through christening you are bringing God into the middle of it all and I know that when he’s in the middle of it all, somehow, it’s held in his hands, and that’s extraordinary.”

He also talked about how Prince George’s baptism means he joins almost 2,000 million people around the world in what he calls the “family of the Church”.

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