The christening of William and Catherine's new son, Prince George, is to take place at the Royal Chapel in St James's Palace in London on Wednesday October 23rd.
In a break with Royal tradition, the couple have chosen to hold an ‘intimate’ ceremony at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace - where the body of Diana, Princess of Wales, lay before the altar for a week before her burial in 1997 so her family could pay their last respects.
Only closest family and friends will be present at the Church of England christening, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.
The couple chose the venue over the Music Room at Buckingham Palace - where Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were all baptised - and the private chapel of the royal residence, where the Queen herself was christened.
It is understood that William and Kate favoured the Holbein-decorated Chapel Royal because it is, in the words of one royal aide, ‘an historic, quite intimate chapel.’
‘It is something they have been thinking about for some time and they just very much liked personally,’ they said.
The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace has a long and glorious history.
It used to be based at Whitehall Palace, but moved to St James's Palace after Whitehall Palace burned down in the 17th Century.
The actual building housing the Royal Chapel was originally constructed by Henry VIII in 1540 and decorated by Hans Holbein in honour of the king's fourth marriage to Anne of Cleves.
Thr heart of Henry VIII's daugher Mary I (known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants) is buried beneath the choir-stalls and it was where her sister Elizabeth I said her prayers for the defence of the realm against the threat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, receiving updates of the conflict's progress via fire beacon from Cornwall.
At the end of the Civil War, Charles I also received the Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace before his execution in Whitehall in 1649.
Queen Victoria was married in the Chapel, and her marriage certificate, hand-written by the Archbishop of Canterbury and signed by both bride and groom, still hangs on the wall in the vestry.
It is also considered to be the cradle of English church music. Among its many noted organists and composers was Henry Purcell.
Three new coins are being issued to mark the christening, just as was the case to mark the prince's birth.
Prince George to be christened in St James's Palace chapel where Diana's body lay before her funeral
Kensington Palace announces christening date as October 23
Christening will take place at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace
Couple say choice of location was a 'very personal' decisionArchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will perform the ceremony
Princess Beatrice was last royal baby to be christened at the chapel in 1988
By Rebecca English
Daily Mail
27th September 2013
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they had made the 'very personal' decision to have their son, Prince George, christened in the chapel where Prince William's mother's body lay before she was buried.
In a break with Royal tradition, the couple have chosen to hold an ‘intimate’ ceremony at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace - where the body of Diana, Princess of Wales, lay before the altar for a week before her burial in 1997 so her family could pay their last respects.
Only closest family and friends will be present at the christening, which will take place on October 23, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.
Christening: Prince George was born on July 22 and is third in line to the throne
St James's Palace, where the christening is to take place
The couple chose the venue over the Music Room at Buckingham Palace - where Prince William, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne were all baptised - and the private chapel of the royal residence, where the Queen herself was christened.
It is understood that William and Kate favoured the Holbein-decorated Chapel Royal because it is, in the words of one royal aide, ‘an historic, quite intimate chapel.’
‘It is something they have been thinking about for some time and they just very much liked personally,’ they said.
In a statement last night, Kensington Palace said: ‘Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to announce the christening of Prince George will take place on Wednesday, 23rd October at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury said he was looking forward to welcoming Prince George into the 'family of the church' in a statement released today
The couple have long made clear they aren’t sticklers for royal convention: whether it be William ripping up the suggested 700-strong guest for his wedding because he ‘hardly knew anyone on it’ or their decision to release a family snapshot of George taken by Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, instead of a formal portrait following his birth on July 22.
And the couple have other personal links to St James’s Palace, where until recently their Household was based.
And in April 2011, Kate chose the chapel to be formally confirmed into the Church of England before her marriage to Prince William.
The last official royal christening to take place at St James’s Palace was that of Princess Beatrice in December 1988.
It is likely that the Prince George will be christened in a replica Honiton lace gown of that worn by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841.
The original intricate lace and satin christening robe was specially crafted for Victoria, the Princess Royal, and used by generation after generation of royal infants including William himself.
Prince Edward’s daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, was the last royal baby to wear the delicate ensemble in 2004.
The Queen then commissioned an identical handmade copy so the 172-year historic outfit could be carefully preserved.
It was made by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly and her team of dressmakers at Buckingham Palace.
Tearing up the rule book: The couple have long made clear they aren't sticklers for royal convention
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will attend next month’s christening along with the Prince of Wales, a grandfather for the first time, and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Kate's family - parents Carole and Michael Middleton – will also be invited along with the godparents, who have not yet been publicly named.
In line with royal tradition, George is likely to have six god-parents and among the names in the frame are William’s best friend Thomas Van Straubenzee, his former private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and ex-nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke.
Several of Kate’s friends are also in the running, along with her sister, Pippa, and brother James.
The christening will also allow a truly historic family photo to be taken – and released to the public - no doubt delighting the 87-year-old Queen.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will attend next month's christening of the third in line
The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace has been the scene of many royal milestones since its construction under the order of Henry VIII in 1540
Members of the Order of Merit within the Chapel where Prince George will be christened later this month
For the first time in more than a century, three heirs to the throne are alive: Prince Charles, 64, Prince William, 31 and new-born George.
The last occasion such picture was taken was in 1894 when Queen Victoria was photographed with her son Edward VII, grandson George V and great grandson Edward VIII.
The existence of a Chapel Royal itself dates back many centuries and, originally, was not a building but an establishment: a body of priests and singers to serve the spiritual needs of the Sovereign.
During Tudor times the Chapel would follow the Sovereign around the country to whichever Palace or great house was in favour at the time.
Since Whitehall Palace burned down in the late 17th century the Chapel Royal has been based exclusively at St James's Palace.
The actual building was originally constructed by Henry VIII and decorated by Hans Holbein in honour of the king's fourth marriage to Anne of Cleves.
Mary I's heart is buried beneath the choir-stalls and it was where Elizabeth I said her prayers for the defence of the realm against the threat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
At the end of the Civil War, Charles I also received the Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace before his execution in Whitehall in 1649.
Queen Victoria was married in the Chapel, and her marriage certificate, hand-written by the Archbishop of Canterbury and signed by both bride and groom, still hangs on the wall in the vestry.
It is also considered to be the cradle of English church music. Among its many noted organists and composers was Henry Purcell.
One of the Chapel's most notable organists and composers was George Frederick Handel, who was appointed by George II in 1723 as 'Composer of Musick of His Majesty's Chappel Royal'.
The title was constructed to allow Handel, still a German citizen (he became British in 1727), to contribute to the musical development of the Chapel Royal without actually being a member of it.
COMMEMORATIVE COINS TO BE MADE FOR GEORGE'S CHRISTENING
Three special coins will be made to mark the Prince George's christening, the Royal Mint has announced.
A gold kilo coin, a silver £5 coin and a 'more affordable' £5 coin have been approved by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen and the Chancellor.
Birthday money: This £5 coin was previously issued by the Royal Mint to mark the birth of the Royal baby
This will be the first time that new coins have been produced in the UK to mark the christening of a member of the Royal Family.
Details of the prices and how many will be created have yet to be announced.
Shane Bissett, of The Royal Mint, said: 'The Royal Mint has celebrated moments of national significance for over 1,000 years and it was felt appropriate to produce the first-ever set of Royal christening coins to mark the christening of our future king.
'As a British institution, The Royal Mint has played a central role creating works of art as official commemorations of landmarks in the history of the Royal Family for hundreds of years. These coins will be a fitting addition to that long tradition.'
A £5 silver proof coin has already been issued to mark the birth of the future heir to the throne and other commonwealth countries including Canada and New Zealand have also issued coins to commemorate the birth.
The £5 Royal Birth coin was priced at £80 from the Royal Mint, and is currently sold out.
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