Oct. 23, 2013
Prince George christening: Godparents announced
They are Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, William van
Cutsem and Zara Tindall.
Zara Tindall, wife of former England rugby international Mike Tindall, is Prince William's cousin and the only royal
Godparent.
Mrs Jardine-Paterson, who uses her maiden name d'Erlanger in her working life as an interior designer, attended
Marlborough College with the duchess.
Mr Van Cutsem is a childhood friend of Prince William, while Mr Baker went to St Andrews University with the Duke
and Duchess.
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton served as private secretary to the Duke and Duchess and Prince Harry from 2005-2012, and is
still principal private secretary and equerry on a part-time basis.
Mrs Samuel was a close friend of the duke's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, and is a trustee of charity Child
Bereavement UK, which Prince William has supported.
Earl Grosvenor is the son of the Duke of Westminster.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will christen the three-month-old prince at St James's Palace in central London.
The prince's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be joined by family and close friends for the
christening at the palace's Chapel Royal.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will attend along with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince
Harry.
The Duchess of Cambridge's parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa and James are also expected
to be at the ceremony, along with the godparents and their spouses.
The private service will take place at 15:00 BST and last about 45 minutes.
Celebrity portrait photographer Jason Bell will take the official pictures, and after the christening he is expected to
capture a historic image of the Queen and three future monarchs - Princes Charles, William and George - together.
This will echo a 1894 picture from the christening of the future Edward VIII, showing him with his father, grandfather
and great-grandmother - George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
(Christening of Prince Edward Albert of York (later King Edward VIII), with Duke of York (later King George V) on the
right; the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) on the left, while Queen Victoria is holding the infant Three future
monarchs were pictured with Queen Victoria in 1894
"Whilst I am surprised neither Harry or Pippa have been chosen amongst the Godparents, Catherine and William have
in so many ways shown they do their own thing and are very united in their decisions and so perhaps their choices are
not surprising at all given the relationships they have with those selected by them.
Harry with his inherent Spencer streak of the rebel might have felt that sometimes perhaps his behaviour might not
set the best example or that he would rather be a favourite uncle which without doubt he will be; enjoying the fun
without the responsibility!
Never the less Catherine and William the proud parents have chosen who they feel will best benefit baby George and I
therefore fully support them in the decisions they have made naturally!"
Diana
Catherine and William, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked as stylish as always at the 3pm christening of
George Alexander Louis their three month old son at the Chapel Royal in St. James Palace. This was the chapel
where William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales, coffin rested before her funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997.
Catherine wearing a cream Alexander McQueen outfit and a matching hat by milliner Jane Taylor.
Prince George was dressed in a Honiton lace christening gown, a replica of the one used by more than 60 members
of the Royal Family since 1841. William's younger brother Harry and Catherine's younger sister Pippa both gave
readings and William and Catherine chose two hymns, two lessons and two anthems for the service.
One of the anthems was a composition written for Prince William's baptism in 1984.
The hymns were Breathe on Me, Breath of God and Be Thou My Vision.
Pippa read lessons from St. Luke chapter 18, verses 15-17, while Prince Harry's reading was taken from St. John
chapter 15, verses 1-5.
The anthems selected were Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand, by composer Richard Popplewell, and The Lord Bless You
and Keep You, by John Rutter.
Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand was written specially for Prince William’s baptism on August 4 1982, and both anthems
were performed by The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal.
The processional organ music during the service was J. S. Bach’s Fantasia in G, while the recessional organ music
was C. M. Widor’s Toccata from Symphony No 5.
The Lily font used by the Archbishop of Canterbury who conducted the 45 minute service was brought to the Chapel
Royal from the Tower of London where it is normally housed as part of the crown jewels and containing water from
the River Jordan
Guests in attendance at the informal and private service included H.M. The Queen and H.R.H. The Duke of
Edinburgh, H.R.H. Prince Charles and H.R.H. Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Catherine's parents Carole and
Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa and James and George's chosen Godparents and their partners.
St, James Palace
"Hello Baby George
My little one I hold you so close to my heart. You are absolutely adorable and the perfect blessed gift for
your adoring and devoted Mummy and Daddy. Daddy has said you are a "Howler" and that's alright as children ought
not to be seen and not heard, especially babies.
You are so cherished and loved and will be very special to your Grandfather, your Daddy's "Papa" and to
your Mummy's parents as well as of course your Uncle Harry, Auntie Pippa and Uncle James. Mummy and Daddy will
tell you all about your Fairy Grandmother Diana.
I'll always be with you watching over you, guiding and protecting you and I am wishing you a long and
happy life filled with love and laughter as I hold you in my arms so tightly, albeit from a distance!"
With bundles of hugs and kisses, from your ever loving,
Fairy Grandmother Diana
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Oct.24,2013
"Hello Everyone!
The article below has caught my attention as it really illustrates what I have said about being the Monarch is not a life
but a duty, a mapped out destiny which actually for the most parts robs those held responsible for its continuance of a
life being bound and dictated to by means of tradition and protocol as to how they must behave, what they can and
cannot do, even what they may and may not say. It is I suppose a theatre production and they the lead players in that
and so acting out their professional roles.
Is it really any wonder then that this future is not one I wish either of my boys but in particular of course William to
have to continue. The era when the Monarch ruled as such long since passed, the government rules and they albeit
secretly are themselves controlled.
I was crucified in 1995 when during the Panorama Interview I said that I wasn't sure Charles would bear the
restrictions the role of being King will impose upon him. I was not questioning his ability to rule, that he has been
trained for all of his life sentence, but I knew Charles; a quiet man who likes to paint in Tuscany and potter around in
his personally and exquisitely designed gardens at Highgrove and albeit speaking out about environmental issues and
supporting the youth of today with the 'Princes Trust' to a greater extent preferring to keeping out of the limelight! The
article below serves to show I knew what I was talking about and hopefully as I have also said Her Majesty will be the
last of the regal monarchs.
Certainly as a King in waiting himself, William is illustrating with Catherine his wife, currently the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge, that the face of the Monarchy is changing and something I am fully supportive of this indeed
happening if as I say it has to continue at all? In which case certainly it does need to be altered radically as times have
changed and it needs to serve to illustrate that fact, so the times now and not bygone eras which therefore are not as
easily and personally related to by the people!"
Diana, Princess of Wales
H.R.H. The Prince of Wales is in no hurry to become king because he regards the role of monarch as a form of
“prison”, one of his aides has said.
The Prince is often caricatured as a man who is desperate to take over from the Queen, having already become the
longest-serving heir in history, but the truth is quite the opposite, according to staff who spoke to 'Time Magazine'.
One member of his household told the US-based weekly that the Prince was worried he would not achieve enough
with his various interests before “the prison shades” close.
Time’s editor-at-large Catherine Mayer was given unrivalled access to the Prince recently and more than 50 of his
friends and staff for a profile ahead of his 65th birthday, which falls next month.
After interviewing the Prince at Birkhall, his holiday home on the Balmoral estate, she concluded that: “Far from
itching to assume the crown, he is already feeling its weight and worrying about the impact on the job he has been
doing.”
The Prince told her: “I’ve had this extraordinary feeling, for years and years, ever since I can remember really, of
wanting to heal and make things better.
“I feel more than anything else it’s my duty to worry about everybody and their lives in this country, to try to find a way
of improving things if I possibly can.”
Ms Mayer said the Prince was “joylessly” taking on more duties from the Queen as he prepared one day to succeed
her, and was gradually handing over the running of his charities to other people so that they would be autonomous
when he took the full-time role as monarch.
She told The Telegraph: “He is really passionate about the work he is doing, and has been doing, for decades. It is
his life’s work, and he just won’t have as much time for those other interests when he becomes king.He regards it very
much with a dull sense of duty"
One member of his household talked about the prison shades closing but it was a sentiment which came across from
lots of people.
“One of the things that became really obvious is quite how much is going on behind the scenes to prepare for the
moment he becomes King. There were day-long meetings with heads of his charities discussing how they could make
themselves fit for a future without him, and they have been rationalised and restructured.
“There is no sense of excitement about that, it’s all done with a leaden sort of duty.”
Interesting fact: In a strange twist of fate H.R.H. Prince Charles, at the age of 12 years old, was a guest at the
christening of his future bride Lady Diana Spencer at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, Norfolk on August
30th, 1961.
(top row, from left) William van Cutsem, Julia Samuel, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Emilia Jardine-Paterson,
(bottom row) Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor and Oliver Baker
(bottom row) Zara Tindall, Earl Grosvenor and Oliver Baker
"THE SOVEREIGN AND THREE KINGS!"
A powerful and poignant image of the four generations of
the British Monarchy today with Her Majesty the Queen,
H.R.H. Prince Charles; The Prince of Wales, H.R.H. Prince
William of Wales; the Duke of Cambridge, and his son
H.R.H. Prince George of Wales
A powerful and poignant image of the four generations of
the British Monarchy today with Her Majesty the Queen,
H.R.H. Prince Charles; The Prince of Wales, H.R.H. Prince
William of Wales; the Duke of Cambridge, and his son
H.R.H. Prince George of Wales
