The identity of Princess Charlotte’s godparents will be revealed when the royal baby is christened on Sunday, July 5, at the church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, with fewer than 30 guests.
Several thousand members of the public are expected to take up Prince William and Kate Middleton’s invitation to share in the day by standing in a paddock outside the churchyard.
They will have the opportunity to see Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Princess Charlotte together in public for the first time.
Princess Charlotte will wear the same christening gown her brother wore when he was baptized in October 2013 – a replica of the gown that Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter wore for her christening in 1841.
Many Brits and the media have been betting Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa Middleton, and Prince William’s brother, Prince Harry, will be among the half-dozen godparents likely to be announced on the day of ceremony.
Pippa Middleton will be there but not Prince Harry who is in Africa on a conservation mission.
The London Telegraph reported that 30-year-old Prince Harry had been one of the favorites to be chosen as a godparent, having missed out on fulfilling the role for his first-born nephew, but after learning he would not be needed for the ceremony he embarked on a three-month trip to Africa at the end of June.
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was born May 2. She is the second child of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the younger sister to Prince George, who turns 2 this month. She is also the fifth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh. Princess Charlotte is fourth-in-line to the throne of the world’s most famous monarchy.
The ceremony will be conducted by the head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby.
Afterward, the party will return to Sandringham House for tea with the Queen, plus the assembling for the official christening portrait by celebrity portrait photographer Mario Testino.
