George Alexander Louis, to be known as His
Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge ... apparently Alexander is particular favourite
of Catherine’s ... or Kate as we know her ...
... born
on July 22nd 2013 at 4.24 pm ... weighing 8lb 6 oz ...
...
there has only been one Prince of Cambridge before, a military man with a racy
love life, born in 1819 and commemorated with an equestrian statue in
Whitehall.
The Archbishop of
Canterbury conducted the service that had historic overtones being
in the presence of our 87 year-old monarch and three future kings, the Princes
Charles, William and, of course, little George.
 |
| The Archbishop to the left, the Bishop of London to the right |
The Bishop of
London was also in attendance and it was he who commented that
George was holding his hands in a very
commanding manner.
Baptism: As
the trumpets blared, baby George arrived at the chapel in his father’s arms
with his mother by their side ...
The
term Chapel
Royal refers to a body of priests and singers, part of the Royal
Household, to serve the spiritual needs of the Sovereign, as and when required.
 |
The two
currently used as Chapel Royals are located at St James’s
Palace, London – the Chapel Royal and the Queen’s Chapel.
The Chapel Royal
is steeped in history ... it was here, in 1588 that Elizabeth I said prayers
before the Spanish Armada was attacked ...
... the
heart of Mary I of England is buried beneath the choir stalls ... she was ill
and died at St James’s Palace in November 1558 and is now known by the
soubriquet “Bloody Mary” ...
 |
| The Chapel Royal showing its intimacy, with the Holbein ceiling ... |
... and
here that Charles I received Holy Communion before his execution in 1649.
For the
Duke and Duchess too the Chapel holds poignant memories. Catherine was confirmed here, into the
Anglican faith, before the royal wedding ...
... and
this was where William and Harry said farewell to their mother, Diana, Princess
of Wales, after her death in 1997.
The Chapel Royal
choir,
comprising six men and ten boys, bedecked in scarlet and gold-fringed robes ...
have been practising for the Christening Service this week ...
 |
| The silver-gilt Lily Font |
George
was christened
with water from the River Jordan in a silver baptismal font, known as the
Lily Font, made in 1840 for the christening of Queen Victoria’s first child,
as it has been used for every royal christening since.
Designers ... Kate
wore a cream-coloured Alexander McQueen dress and hat by milliner Jane Taylor;
.... the press kept us informed about all the other guests’ outfits!
 |
| The Order of the Garter - the senior order of the United Kingdom: showing the Garter "Star" and below St George the Martyr on horseback slaying the dragon |
England ... George, the
dragon slayer, is of course, the patron saint of England, despite having been
born far from here ....
Archbishop’s
speech will remind George that his
role as a future monarch will include acting as a figurehead for Christianity
with the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Future Kings ... It had been 120 years since a
reigning monarch had met a future king three generations ahead ... that last
happened in 1894 when Queen Victoria was introduced to the baby who would
become Edward VIII.
 |
| We three males will all kings be ... |
Three
kings are now on hold ... but it looks like the future King George will be the
first king of the 22nd century ... some thought – many of us though won’t see him reign ...
George’s
name
was probably chosen as a tribute to George V, founder of the House of Windsor, who was
the Queen’s adored ‘Grand-Pรจre England’ ... George VI
was the beloved father in whose image she has shaped so much of her reign (her
inscrutability on most things is one of her strengths) ...
... her
father who despite those early trials, after his brother’s abdication, went on
to become a much admired leader during World War II.
Godparents are a
mixture of school, university and family friends, mentor figures, and a royal
cousin, Zara, who will be producing a playmate for George in January ... and
who has helped Kate overcome her fear of horses.
The fact
the godparents are
not royal is another indication that this prince is going to be very grounded
in normal life.
 |
| Anmer village sign |
Homes: The new family are likely to
spend time in Kensington Palace, at the Middleton’s family home in Bucklebury,
Berkshire and Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom Georgian mansion on the Sandringham
estate, Norfolk, where the Queen and her family spends Christmas ...
... but
as we now know Prince George’s parents have minds of their own and are
determined to do things their way, if possible, giving him and his future
siblings as much privacy as possible ...
Intimate
Christening Service – few invited ... simple ... Prince William showed his
single-mindedness and determination when “their guest list” for the wedding did
not include any friends they knew ...
... he
apparently startled the Royal Family ... by going straight to the Queen to
discuss his concerns. This continues to
this day ... as we’ve seen at times ... he does things on his own terms ...
The intimate ceremony
without a lot of fuss and bother suited the main royals ... the Queen, the Duke
of Edinburgh and Prince Charles could accomplish all their duties, attend the
Christening, have a cup of tea and get on with more duties.
This intimate christening
has been the most private royal christening in living memory ...
The Imperial State Crown is one
of the Crown Jewels of the UK and symbolises the sovereignty of the monarchy.
 |
| The Imperial State Crown |
Jubilee Trust: nothing stops the Queen
performing her duties ... she did her papers in the morning, received some
dignitaries, allocated an hour for the Christening, photos and a quick cup of tea
... and then hosted a Diamond Jubilee Trust reception commencing at
6.00 pm.
Does
she ever stop working? ... she sets a fine example of hard work and dedication
to her peoples.
 |
| The Chapel Royal is on the right |
St James’s Palace is the most senior royal palace
... and it is for this reason that it gives its name to the Royal Court (the “Court
of St James”) – it is the ceremonial gathering place of the “Accession Council”
which proclaims a new sovereign.
Foreign
Ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James’s, even though they
are received by the monarch at Buckingham Palace.
Future Kings: Clarence House is
next door to St James’s Palace, and is the residence of the Prince of Wales. While William and Kate, with George, will reside at
Kensington Palace on the west side of Hyde Park.
 |
| With the Archbishop of Canterbury |
Little lad ... I’ve got no further with my “Ls”!!!
The Royal Mint has created the first ever
royal christening coin in the UK to mark Prince George’s baptism. The limited edition gold “kilo coin” is being
sold for £50,000 – but a more affordable “Brilliant Uncirculated” £5 coin costs
£13.
 |
| The Gold and Silver Uncirculated coins |
The £5 coin
has been made in both silver – because the crossing of a baby’s palm with
silver is said to bring good health and prosperity to newborns – and gold to
commemorate the royal celebration. There
are nine items in the range ...
Nicknames: William
calls Catherine “Poppet” ... apparently
Prince Charles and Camilla have long found it amusing to refer to each other in
private as Fred and Gladys ... while
Prince Philip apparently calls the Queen Cabbage
or Sausage, while she supposedly calls him The Boss ... who knows?!
 |
| From the Edwardian Promenade blog ... details of this and other historical research guides |
Names ... Members
of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or
Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time one is needed, such as upon
marriage, then that surname is “Mountbatten-Windsor”.
So some
royal names have come to define much more than a mere reign.
Georgian architecture, Victorian values, Edwardian grandeur ...
...
Charles the Conservator ...
...
William the determined ...
...
George the gorgeous!
Order of Service
included the hymns:
·
Breathe on Me, Breath of God
·
Be Thou My Vision ... this one was sung at the
memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana
The Lessons
were:
·
St Luke ch. 18, verses 15-17: read by Pippa
Middleton, Kate’s sister
·
St John ch. 15, verses 1- 5: read by Prince
Harry
The
anthems were performed by The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal:
·
Blessed Jesu!
Here We Stand (written by Richard Popplewell – for Prince William’s baptism
on 4 August 1982)
·
The Lord Bless You and Keep You (by John Rutter)
... phrases William has been heard to say... “he’s got her looks thankfully” ...
Kate protesting .. “No, no I don’t know about that” ... as for George’s downy
hair, now turning darker ... “he’s got way more than me, thankfully” ... “he’s
got a good pair of lungs on him, that’s for sure” ... was a “big boy, he’s
quite heavy” .... “I’ll remind him of his tardiness when he’s a bit older ...”
The Queen, dressed in turquoise, wore a
diamond, ruby and sapphire floral brooch to the Christening given to her by her
parents, George VI and the Queen Mother, which marked the birth of Prince
Charles in 1948.
Christening Robe ... George
wore a replica of the fragile 172 year old robe, made of Honiton lace lined
with satin, which has been used by royal babies since the christening of Queen Victoria’s
eldest daughter in 1841 ... sixty-two
christenings in all ...
 |
| The beautiful buttermilk Christening Robe |
The
replica was commissioned by the Queen in 2008 and once made, was hand-washed in
spring water and carefully stored in a cool, dark place to keep it pristine. I see the Queen is still practising her Girl Guide
motto ... ‘Be Prepared’...!
That early robe
– an original Spitalfields silk-satin gown, with cap sleeves, a lace overlay
and a bow at the neck was created by Janet Sutherland, a coal miner’s daughter,
who was a Scottish dressmaker from Falkirk, in 1841.
George’s wardrobe ... he
can count himself lucky because his royal counterparts born three centuries ago
would have been fitted with baby corsets ....??
George
IV born in August 1762 wore a bright red silk corset ... stiffened with a strip
of whalebone down the back ...
George
V wore lace-up baby boots – he was born in 1865.
 |
| Stunning cake ... bet it tasted good too! |
Scrumptious tea ... with
champagne ... one of the sections, probably the smallest, of his parent’s
eight-tiered wedding cake ... this was hosted at Clarence House, where the
official photographs were taken, by Charles and his wife, Camilla ...
A subtle
transition going on as
Charles takes on more duties, but the Queen, now 87, will never abdicate ...
per various reports being spawned now ...
So far
this new section of the royal family seem to be developing an Utopian existence ...
long may it last for them, and for us ...
Visit
planned to Australia and New Zealand in the new year with George most
definitely going along ...
 |
| Salisbury - the Poultry Cross painted by Louise Rayner, c 1870 |
Victoria ... what
would she say – and how much has changed ... electric light, heating, aeroplane
travel, cars, tarmac roads, ...
When Prince William
was born in 1982 when there was no internet, no mobile-phone network, and so
many other changes around the world that have occurred ... what will happen in
the next 30, 50, 100 years ... into the 22nd century of George ...
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| Loving Cup from the Royal Shop ... this is not tawdry tat! |
X is for tat or tacky ...
you can bet there will be tons of plastic rubbish sold, a few good items ...
but X is for tawdry tat!
Yelling from
those royal lungs was briefly on hold ... his father noted that this was the
first time George had been quiet all day ..
Let
the Zest of life begin that he will be able to enjoy for a
while, before the reigns of duty take over ...
Prince
George ... has started off life very serenely ... a peaceful, quiet,
exceptionally well behaved little lad ... though I suspect in due time he will
show the fun side of his character ...
... which
is bound to be there as the grandson of Diana, and nephew of Harry ... let
alone his parents, who enjoyed themselves at St Andrews University, where they
met. His great grandmother is known to
enjoy a laugh ...
Regal calm of the future King ... as
his first duty was to his 22 guests at his baptism ... after gently waving at his great grandmother,
he clasped his hands over his tummy, eyes wide open absorbing this new world
around him and patiently saw his 94th day pass serenely on ...
Whereas one (unlikely) future subject was
recording the events for her blog post in the ABC mode ... when I will be past
my sell-by date ... sad, but true!!
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
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