Prince George will be christened on 23rd October in the Chapel Royal at St James's
Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Justin Welby, with close
family and godparents in attendance.
The choice of venue is a break with recent tradition, as the Queen, the Prince of Wales and Prince William were all christened in
Buckingham Palace.
The Chapel Royal holds vivid memories for the Duke, as it was the place where
the body of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, lay in front of the altar for
a week after she died.
The Duke and his brother Prince Harry were taken to the chapel to pay their
respects in private at the time, before the Princess's very public funeral at
Westminster Abbey.
Royal aides said the choice of venue was “very much a personal choice” by the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who considered other
royal chapels including St George's Chapel, Windsor, where Prince Harry was
christened.
The chapel, built by Henry VIII in 1540, is steeped in history. Decorated by
Hans Holbein in honour of Henry's short-lived marriage to Anne of Cleves, it was
the place where Elizabeth I said her prayers for the defence of the realm
against the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Mary I’s heart is buried beneath the choir stalls and Charles I received Holy Communion in the chapel before his execution at Whitehall in 1649.
It was also the venue for Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert and its resident organists have included Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel.
Princess Beatrice was the last member of the Royal family to be christened in the chapel, in 1988 – an occasion that was attended by the Duke of Cambridge with his mother.
The christening is likely to be the first occasion when official photographs will be taken of the Queen with her three direct successors, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George, who will be three months old.
It will be the first time a monarch has been photographed with three heirs since Queen Victoria was alive.
The Duke and Duchess's choice of godparents, and the list of guests who will be at the christening, will be released nearer the time.
Mary I’s heart is buried beneath the choir stalls and Charles I received Holy Communion in the chapel before his execution at Whitehall in 1649.
It was also the venue for Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert and its resident organists have included Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel.
Princess Beatrice was the last member of the Royal family to be christened in the chapel, in 1988 – an occasion that was attended by the Duke of Cambridge with his mother.
The christening is likely to be the first occasion when official photographs will be taken of the Queen with her three direct successors, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George, who will be three months old.
It will be the first time a monarch has been photographed with three heirs since Queen Victoria was alive.
The Duke and Duchess's choice of godparents, and the list of guests who will be at the christening, will be released nearer the time.
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