Yvonne's Royalty Home Page: Royal Christenings

Yvonne's Royalty Home Page

© 1998-2006 Yvonne Demoskoff

"Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and
wayward youngsters and of family disagreements." - Queen Elizabeth II

Vital Statistics

Royal Christenings (aka Christening Information of the Royal Family since King George I)

Table of Contents:

Author's Note
Introduction
Christening Robes
Baptismal Fonts
Christening Cakes
Christening Locations
Christenings of the Royal Family
Appendix 1: "Churching" and Royal Mothers
Appendix 2: Christening Trivia
Appendix 3: The Royal Christening Robe
Sources
Acknowledgements

Author's Note

This document consists of the christening details of the Royal Family from King George I in 1660 including Queen Victoria in 1819 to their present-day male-line descendants (who were titled Prince or Princess of Great Britain with the style Royal Highness) who received the Rite of Baptism. These are the following exceptions:

√ included:

• the spouses of selected sovereigns (Prince Albert, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the Duke of Edinburgh)
• the spouses of the current Prince of Wales (Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall)
• the spouses of selected royal peers (the Duchesses of Gloucester: Alice and her daughter-in-law Birgitte; the Duchesses of Kent: Marina and her daughter-in-law Katharine)
• the only child of HRH Prince Arthur of Great Britain (Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught)
• the children of HRH Prince William Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester (Sophia Matilda, Caroline and William, Duke of Gloucester)

not included:

• the descendants of George V, King of Hanover (son of Prince Ernest Augustus of Great Britain, Duke of Cumberland, later Ernst August, King of Hanover)
• the descendants of Prince Charles Edward of Great Britain, Duke of Albany (later the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Prince Leopold of Great Britain, Duke of Albany)

"Christening Information" is divided into ten sections. The first section is the Author's Note; the second section (Introduction) provides a brief history of royal christenings; the third section (Christening Robes) discusses christenings heirlooms; the fourth section (Baptismal Fonts) reviews the fonts used at christenings; the fifth section (Christening Cakes) describes selected christenings cakes; the sixth section (Christening Locations) looks at the various christening locations; the seventh section (Christenings of the Royal Family) contains the baptismal information for members of the royal family; the eighth section features three appendices ("Churching" and Royal Mothers, Christening Trivia, and The Royal Christening Robe); the ninth section contains the sources used and consulted during the preparation of this document; the tenth and final section is the Acknowledgments.

The seventh section (Christenings of the Royal Family) is presented in chronological order, beginning in 1660 and ending in 2004. Each entry (105 individuals) consists of the following data: the name (and/or title) of the individual; the names of his or her parents; the date and location of birth (and death, where applicable); the christening date, location, and principal officiating clergy; the name (or names) the child received at christening; the names of the godparents; and the main sources used to compile this information.

Unless otherwise indicated, the christenings were performed according to the Church of England (Anglican) rite.

When information is unknown or incomplete, this is indicated.

The date following an individual's name at the start of his or her entry indicates the year of his or her christening. If the christening date is unknown, the year of birth is indicated in parentheses. If more than one child was christened in a particular year, the month and the year of christening are indicated.

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Introduction

A christening is a religious occasion, which marks a child's entry into his or her Church. It is an outward sign of becoming a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. As the first sacrament in a person's life, baptism "marks the start of a journey of faith". (For information about infant baptism in the Church of England, see http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/baptismconfirm/) Queen Victoria, who was not prone to 'religious dogmatizing', remarked that a christening was "indeed a holy and most important" ceremony and "an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace".¹

Modern royal christenings are simple and quiet in character. They are held privately, by invitation, and attended by a small, exclusive group (members of the Royal family, godparents* and close friends). An exception was the baptism of Princess Eugenie, younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who was christened during a regular Sunday morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham two days before Christmas 1990.²

* Royal godparents are usually called sponsors, but the term godparents will be used throughout this document.

Christenings are often held one or two months after the birth of a royal child, but have occurred much earlier if the child is in danger of not surviving. The infant son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who was born prematurely in April 1871 and lived only a few hours, was hastily christened the evening of his birth. One of the longest wait for a christening was the one held in December 1990 for Princess Eugenie, who was nine months old.

Royal christenings follow a long-established pattern, and almost always include three traditional items: the Honiton lace christening robe, the Lily Font, and consecrated water from the river Jordan. (The royal family's use of this water dates back to King Richard I, and is based on Christ's immersion in the Jordan river by John the Baptist.)³ The ceremony lasts about half an hour, and takes place in the late morning or afternoon. The Archbishop of Canterbury, as the spiritual head of the Church of England, often has the honour of baptising the baby. A hymn and sometimes an anthem are sung, with music selections ranging from specially-composed songs (such as Jubilate, composed by Prince Albert for the christening of his daughter Princess Helena in 1846) to Christmas carols (such as Away In A Manger, sung at Princess Beatrice of York's christening in December 1988). The royal family, godparents, guests and attendants place themselves near the font. The infant is carried into the room by the head nurse, who is accompanied by his or her mother's lady-in-waiting. The service begins with a hymn, and after a few words from the celebrant, the baby is placed in the arms of the main godparent, who in turn hands the child to the Archbishop. Holding the child, the Archbishop asks what the child's names are, and pours a little water over its forehead as he declares: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The infant is then returned to the arms of the main godparent, who holds him or her briefly before placing the infant in the arms of the head nurse. Another hymn is sung, and the newly baptised child is lead out of the room by the nurse and lady-in-waiting. The company leaves the room in the order in which they entered, and proceed to a nearby room, where the baptismal register is signed.⁴ A reception follows the ceremony; photographs of the baby are taken with his or her family and godparents, and a light luncheon or tea party, including a christening cake, is served.

Compared to today's royal christenings, the early Georgian kings, and later Queen Victoria, with their love for pageantry, preferred highly organized, extravagant and expensive affairs. These christenings were often State occasions, with invitations issued to prominent individuals, such as members of foreign royal families, prime ministers, diplomats, and other illustrious guests. The baptisms were usually scheduled in the evening, as early as 6:30 p.m. (for the baptism of Princess Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria, in 1841) and as late as 9:30 p.m. (for the baptism of Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, in 1796). The baptism of the first-born son and heir to King George III in 1762 was the occasion for as much splendour as the proud sovereign could arrange. A new gilded mahogany state bed was built for Queen Charlotte; its only purpose: for Her Majesty to lounge upon during the ceremony.⁵ The bed, of "superlative magnificence", was embellished and ornamented with carvings, white ostrich plumes, gold lace-trimmed crimson velvet valances and curtains, and five mattresses. A "suit [matching set] of superfine Flanders point lace" costing £2,699 was added to the satin quilt, completing the ornate ensemble.⁶

For the christening of Queen Victoria's son and heir in 1842, Her Majesty spent £200,000, creating an event of 'unprecedented grandeur'.⁷ The baptism included a banquet, a christening cake over eight feet in diameter, fireworks and other entertainment.⁸ Her Majesty wore state jewels, the women wore evening dresses and tiaras, and the men wore uniforms and decorations. The Queen invited so many people to the event, that some of her guests had difficulty seeing much of the christening. The soon-to-be appointed royal Governess, the Dowager Baroness Lyttelton, described "being squeezed very close between the Duke of Wellington [...] and a somebody with an enormous silver mace on each side of me. Before me were numberless 'broad backs', and occasionally I could just see half the Queen's head through a crevice between elbows." Fortunately, Lady Lyttelton managed to catch a glimpse of "His Royal Highness [the infant Prince of Wales], mantle and lace and all" being handed to the Archbishop of Canterbury by the Queen's Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess of Buccleuch, then being taken back by her.⁹ The Prince of Wales's christening was not only memorable in its magnificence, but also unique because two royal baptismal fonts were used. The 1660 font, which was regilt and ornamented for the occasion by the Bond Street silversmith firm Storr and Mortimer, was used in conjunction with the newer Lily Font.¹⁰

The christening of Queen Victoria's fourth child, Prince Alfred, in 1844 was on a less grand scale than the one held for his elder brother, but it was nevertheless a chance for Her Majesty to celebrate lavishly. One of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting noticed the lack of restraint on this occasion, and wrote with some criticism that "everything Royal that can be collected comes for the Christening", adding "there were so many Bishops & Church dignatories [sic] that it looked almost like a Roman Catholic ceremony, for it was in the little Chapel by candlelight just before dinner".¹¹ Queen Victoria took no notice of such grumblings, not even public ones like those found in the satirical magazine Punch, which stated in 1853 after Prince Leopold's christening, that Her Majesty should "release all future Royal Christenings from the trappings of pomp and vanity with which custom has hitherto entangled them".¹²

Christening ceremonies of the last few decades have been relatively free of problems, but this has not always been the case. In the past, some royal parents had their children's names imposed on them, such as when Queen Victoria chose, without first notifying the parents, 'Albert Victor' as the name of the newborn son of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1864. (The Queen showed some consideration for her son and daughter-in-law's feelings by not 'objecting' to the young couple choosing additional names for their son.) Parents also had their choices of children's names vetoed by the monarch, for instance when King George IV requested 'Elizabeth' instead of 'Georgina' for the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Clarence in 1820. Christening dates are usually chosen in consultation with the Sovereign (or the Regent), but not for the Duke and Duchess of Kent, who were told at the last minute the date of the ceremony in 1819. Some parents weren't allowed to organise or participate in the planning of their child's christening, such as Queen Victoria's. Her uncle the Prince Regent ordered a private ceremony with only a few family members present, with "no dressing up, no uniforms glittering with gold [and no] grand occasion" allowed.¹³

Christenings have also had their share of 'bad fairies', who caused distress to the parents. For example, at the christening of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Alice, in 1843, the Queen's uncle, the King of Hanover, arrived late for the ceremony, behaved rudely, "never [spoke] a kind word", and made a public fuss about the dispute with his niece over the ownership of Queen Charlotte's jewels.¹⁴ (Queen Victoria might have agreed with the future Prime Minister Lord Robert Cecil's commentary on royal pageantry in 1861 when he wrote that "something always breaks down, somebody contrives to escape doing his part, or some bye-motive is suffered to interfere and ruin it all.")¹⁵

There were no 'bad fairies' at the christening of the Queen's grandson, the infant Duke of Albany, in December 1884. The weather was fine, and the church bells rang, but the ceremony was overshadowed with sadness and poignancy, for the prince's father, Leopold (Queen Victoria's youngest son), had died tragically earlier that year. The Duke's mother and grandmother wore mourning: the former in "widow's weeds and [...] a long black crape veil" and the latter in a "black silk costume and black bonnet".¹⁶ After the ceremony, the Queen wrote to her granddaughter in Darmstadt that "the Christening at Claremont was very touching. [...] Poor dear Aunt Helen was [greatly] tried but behaved so courageously tho' she was nearly breaking down often, but she bore up till it was all over".¹⁷

Perhaps the last word on unhappy christenings should go to the events surrounding the baptism of Prince George, the King's grandson, the child. In November 1717, the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George II and Queen Caroline), wanted the King (George I) and the King's brother (Prince Ernst August) to be godparents to their infant son. The Prince and his father quarrelled when His Majesty asserted his right to choose the godparents. A bitter fall-out resulted. The Prince of Wales was put under house arrest, and then was subsequently banished from his home at St James's Palace. The disgraced Prince and his wife faced further anguish when they lost the guardianship of their young children, Frederick, Anne, Amelia and Caroline, and were allowed to see them only with the King's permission. (Prince George - the child 'at the centre of a royal feud' - died when he was three months old in February 1718.)¹⁸

Footnotes:

1. Queen Victoria's Journal, 2 June 1843, quoted in Noel, Alice, p. 26.
2. Buckingham Palace press release (Christening of Lady Louise Windsor) dated 8 April 2004.
3. Majesty, Vol. 5, No. 9, January 1985, p. 17.
4. Royal register books have been maintained for centuries. The present brown-leather Royal register, with its cover stamped with the Royal Arms in gold, dates from 1963. Each entry in the Register records the details of the christening, such as the date; the names of the child; the signature of the person who officiated at the ceremony; and the signatures of the Royal Family who attended the baptism. ("The Monarchy Today: Ceremonies and Pageantry" from the British Monarchy website's at http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page3978.asp)
5. Hedley, Queen Charlotte, p. 76. The Queen's bed, known as the "Queen's Sitting-up State Bed", was built in sections and could be disassembled and reassembled when needed. The bed was used at the christenings of Her Majesty's other children.
6. Hedley, Queen Charlotte, pp 76-77 and Greig, Diaries, p. 50.
7. Majesty, Vol. 5, No. 9, January 1985, p. 17, and The Times, 10 January 1842.
8. Majesty, Vol. 5, No. 9, January 1985, p. 17.
9. Wyndham, Correspondence, pp 325-326.
10. The Times, 26 January 1842. Sir George Hayter's commemorative painting of the infant Prince's christening (The Christening of the Prince of Wales) illustrates how the older font was employed as a sort of holder or pedestal for the newer font. (See, for example, Gernsheim, Queen Victoria, p. 73, illustration 57)
11. Surtees, Canning, p. 127.
12. Quoted in Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 450.
13. Woodham-Smith, Queen Victoria, p. 34.
14. Longford, Victoria, p. 171, quoting the Queen's Journal, 2 June 1843. The disagreement between Queen Victoria and King Ernest centered upon the jewels acquired by the late Queen Charlotte during her marriage. Some of the jewels were considered part of the regalia of the kingdom of Hanover, but they had not left for that country in 1837 when Victoria succeeded in Great Britain and Ernest in Hanover. Despite a legal claim made in King Ernest's name soon after Queen Victoria came to the throne, a settlement was not reached until 1857, a few years after the King's death. It was left to his son, King George, to see his father's claim vindicated when he received the jewels in early 1858. (Twining, History, p. 165 and p. 370, and Bury, Jewellery, Vol. II, pp 792-798)
15. Cannadine, Ritual, p. 102. Lord Robert succeeded as 3rd Marquess of Salisbury in 1868. His royal 'observations' were published anonymously in an article in The Saturday Review, 9 February 1861.
16. The Times, 5 December 1884.
17. Hough, Advice, p. 71.
18. Plumb, First Four Georges, pp 55-56. According to Wallace/Taylor, Royal Mothers, p. 123, Prince George had been born with "a growth on his heart", and this condition contributed to his early death.

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Christening Robes

Honiton Lace Christening Robe*

* The first two syllables of Honiton rhyme with honey.

The Honiton lace christening robe, a "garment fashioned in a fairy-tale", began much in the same way as another 'fairy-tale' garment -- Queen Victoria's wedding dress.¹ Her Majesty wore a dress of creamy white lightweight finely-woven Spitalfields silk satin trimmed with Honiton bobbin lace at her wedding in February 1840.² Within a few months, the Queen turned to the same Devonshire village and commissioned a lace-maker from Honiton to make the lace for a christening gown.³ Sources claim the christening gown was based on the same design as Her Majesty's wedding dress.⁴ Picture evidence shows otherwise, because the wedding dress and the christening robe are of different styles, and the wedding lace and the christening lace are of different patterns.⁵

It is not known who was entrusted with the precious task of making the lace, but perhaps it was one of the women who held royal appointments to Her Majesty as manufacturers of Honiton lace between 1837 and 1842: Miss Jane Bidney and Mrs Esther Clark.⁶ It is also not known who created the design for the christening lace (although it might have been William Dyce, a pre-Raphaelite painter, who designed the Queen's wedding lace), nor is it known who was responsible for the design and the making of the satin christening robe itself. At the time of her marriage, Queen Victoria had two principal London dressmakers, Mrs Mary Bettans (who, it is speculated, might have been responsible for the Queen's wedding dress) and the firm Vouillon & Laure.⁷ It is possible that one of them made the christening robe. The lace for the royal robe was completed after labour-intensive manual work. Each square inch of lace took four hours to complete.⁸

The royal christening robe* of Honiton lace over white silk satin follows classical lines of such garments: a high waist, short sleeves, and a long skirt. The robe is composed of four main elements: the gown, cap, cloak and mantle. (A fifth element might have been tiny matching satin slippers or shoes (commonly known as booties) to complete the christening ensemble.) Over the full-length dress (sometimes referred to as a petticoat or lining) of white Spitalfields silk satin is netting of fine white Honiton cotton lace in an intricate floral design. The dress has cap sleeves (also of fine white Honiton cotton lace), and a wide, full-length sash with fringed ends gathered in a large bow that hangs from the bodice.⁹ Narrow bands of ruched (pleated) silk trim each side of the decorative centre spray of open ribbed leaves and flowers. There is also a matching cap of Honiton lace, a cloak of crimson-coloured velvet lined with ermine, and a mantle of white satin edged with Honiton lace. Queen Victoria was a sentimental woman and kept some of her children's first or early clothing, including the "ermine-trimmed velvet christening capes used for her two eldest children [Vicky and Bertie]".¹⁰ Princess Vicky's cape or mantle is now preserved in the Museum of London.¹¹

* The description of the robe is a blend of details from two sources: Luxton, Royal Honiton Lace, p. 48 and The Times (3 June 1843, 29 June 1853 and 11 March 1864).

The robe, which gained fame as "an institution in Queen Victoria's family", was first worn by Her Majesty's eldest child, Princess Victoria, at her christening in February 1841.¹² Following the ceremony, Her Majesty wrote in her Journal that her infant daughter "looked very dear in a white Honiton point lace robe and mantle, over white satin".¹³ Sources that claim the robe was made in 1841-1842 and first worn by the Prince of Wales are unfortunately mistaken.¹⁴ When Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, was christened in 2004, Buckingham Palace issued a press release that stated the "Royal christening robe, of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, was made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal."¹⁵ In 1894, the Queen gave the guardianship of the heirloom robe to her granddaughter-in-law the Duchess of York (later Queen Mary).¹⁶

The 165-year old robe is in good condition, but its net background has become fragile and delicate, its white lace has turned creamy, and its Victorian satin has worn out. (The robe's original colour has subtly changed over the century, evolving from "white to cream, from cream to ivory, from ivory to icy, smooth magnolia".)¹⁷ The gown required mending by royal couturier Norman Hartnell before it was worn by Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips at his christening in 1977.¹⁸ After each use, the royal christening robe is carefully hand-washed in sterilised water, and dried before being wrapped in layers of black tissue paper and placed in an airtight container. The robe is stored at Buckingham Palace.¹⁹

Between 1841 and 2004, the royal christening robe was worn by approximately sixty-two individuals.* (For a list of Queen Victoria's descendants who wore the royal christening robe at their baptism, see Appendix 2: "The Royal Christening Robe", further below.)

* Guinness World Records, in its "Most Babies Christened in the Same Robe" category, asserts that "To date [April 2000], 68 royal babies have been christened in the robe."²⁰

Other Royal Christening Gowns

Queen Victoria was not the only member of the royal family to use a christening robe featuring Honiton lace. Her aunt, the Duchess of Cambridge, had a Regency-style gown with matching baby cap of Honiton lace appliqué on machine net made for the christening of her three children (born between 1819 and 1833).²¹

The christening robe worn by King George III at his baptism in 1738 left the Royal Family's possession when Queen Charlotte, the King's wife, gave the heirloom to the Ritso family. George Frederick Ritso, a Captain in the Royal Engineers, was a childhood playmate of His Majesty. (His wife Louisa was employed in Queen Charlotte's household.) Captain Ritso's granddaughter, who died in 1915 at the age of 103, wore the robe at her christening.²²

Another royal christening robe that might have been given away by the Royal Family was the one worn by Prince Edward (later Duke of Kent), younger son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, at his baptism in 1767. The nearly 150-year old robe was worn by the son and heir of the Earl and Countess Clanwilliam at his christening in July 1914.²³

For his christening in September 1762, the future King George IV wore a "richly embroidered satin robe and sleeves", and was supported on a "white satin pillow bordered with flowers worked in gold and spangles".²⁴

Following the birth of her granddaughter in January 1796, Queen Charlotte sent gifts to her son, the future King George IV. Along with the gifts, the Queen sent a letter in which she explained that, in addition to sending a cradle, a "Christning [sic] suit accompanies this, which is trimmed with the Princess lace, as also the cushion and sheet of the cradle."²⁵

In early 1920, The Times reported that the infant daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Carisbrooke (eldest son of HRH Princess Beatrice) wore a christening robe that had belonged to Queen Victoria. This does not seem to be the Honiton lace christening robe, however, based on the newspaper's description of a "cream satin [robe] trimmed with Brussels lace [...] worn with a cloak of corded silk [and] ornamented with old Irish lace".²⁶

As for what the infant Queen Victoria wore at her baptism, there is unfortunately no surviving account or description of her christening gown. But in 1819, the Duchess of Kent spent £103 18s 6d 'for dressmaking for Princess Victoria'; it is possible that some of this money was spent on christening apparel for her daughter.²⁷

Footnotes:

1. Arnold, Little Princes, p. 86. Unfortunately, the author makes an error when she says the christening robe is "made of pure Holland lace".
2. Costume, Number 17, p. 1. Honiton lace "is a bobbin lace in which the separately worked motifs are joined together by hand or applied to machine-made net." (Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 120)
3. Costume, Number 17, p. 7.
4. Majesty, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1990, p. 39 and People Weekly, Fall 1990, p. 132.
5. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 119 and Luxton, Royal Honiton Lace, pp 49-51.
6. Yallop, Honiton Lace Industry, p. 150. Records indicate that Miss Bidney (who made the lace for the Queen's wedding dress) received £250 in payment in 1840, and that Mrs Clarke received £111 in 1840-1841. Perhaps a portion of these amounts were for producing christening lace.
7. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 121. The robe was entirely of British manufacture. (The Times, 3 June 1843)
8. Majesty, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1990, p. 39 and People Weekly, Fall 1990, p. 132.
9. The sash can be clearly seen with the christening robe in photographs taken at the baptism of the future King Edward VIII in July 1894. See the four-generation christening photograph (by W. & D. Downey) of the infant prince sleeping in the arms of his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, with his grandfather the Prince of Wales and his father the Duke of York standing behind the Queen. (Gernsheim, Queen Victoria, p. 229, illustration 286) Also, the sash is clearly visible in the photographs taken (by Patrick Lichfield) at the baptism of Lady Louise Windsor (Queen Elizabeth II's youngest granddaughter) in April 2004. (Majesty, Vol. 25, No. 6, June 2004, p. 35)
10. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 124.
11. Costume, Number 17, p. 31 note 16. A mantle is a sleeveless garment similar to a cloak but shorter.
12. Costume, Number 17, p. 7.
13. Queen Victoria's Journal for 10 February 1841, quoted in Costume, Number 17, p. 7.
14. These incorrect sources include Luxton, Royal Honiton Lace, p. 44, Majesty, Vol. 5, No. 9, January 1985, p. 15, Majesty, Vol. 9, No. 10, February 1988, p. 33, People Weekly, Fall 1990, p. 132, and The Times, 4 August 1982 (regarding the christening of Prince William of Wales).
15. Buckingham Palace press release (Christening of Lady Louise Windsor) dated 8 April 2004.
16. The Times, 10 December 1948 and Buckingham Palace press release (Christening of Lady Louise Windsor) dated 8 April 2004.
17. Arnold, Little Princes, p. 86.
18. Luxton, Royal Honiton Lace, p. 48; Majesty, Vol. 9, No. 10, February 1988, p. 33; Majesty, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1990, p. 39 and People Weekly, Fall 1990, p. 132.
19. Majesty, Vol. 5, No. 9, January 1985, p. 15; Majesty, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1990, p. 39; and People Weekly, Fall 1990, p. 132. According to Kidd, Royal Children, p. 130, the christening robe is stored in a cedarwood chest.
20. Guinness World Records at http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=54514
21. Luxton, Royal Honiton Lace, p. 66. This information is in contrast with Jackman, People's Princess, p. 21 where the author (who unfortunately does not cite his source) states that the Duchess of Cambridge's youngest child, Princess Mary Adelaide, wore at her christening a "long robe 'à drap d'argent all tied with pink bows, and an enormous long train of the same all trimmed with fine Brussels lace'".
22. The Times, 2 March 1915. Captain Ritso's parents were employed in the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales (Frederick and Augusta), while his brother-in-law Dr. John Frederick Charles Grimm was Court Physician to the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, grandfather of Prince Albert. (The Times, 25 September 1866)
23. The Times, 9 July 1914. The robe was either lent specially for the event, or had left the possession of the Royal Family.
24. Hedley, Queen Charlotte, p. 77. According to the author, the christening robe is now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.
25. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 34, quoting Queen Charlotte's letter to her son the Prince of Wales from A. Aspinall, ed. The Correspondence of George, Prince of Wales 1770-1812, vol. III, p. 151.
26. The Times, 2 March 1920.
27. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 82.

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Baptismal Fonts

Lily Font

The Lily Font was first used at the baptism of Queen Victoria's eldest child, Princess Victoria, in 1841.¹ Lacking "doctrinal symbolism", the font nevertheless has a "natural floral charm", and, as mentioned in a contemporary newspaper account, was "very elegant in its form, and exquisitely finished".² The font was designed by Prince Albert,³ but no drawing or sketch of this design has been found.⁴ It is said that the font was made because Queen Victoria "objected to an earlier font on the ground that the illegitimate children of one of her predecessors had been christened in it".⁵ In 1978, The Times stated that a ewer was made simultaneously with the Lily Font, but this is probably an error.⁶ There isn't any evidence for this 1841 ewer in The Crown Jewels, although it says that an earlier ewer (made ca 1835, see below) "is now used for Royal christenings with the Lily font".⁷

The font was crafted by Edward Barnard and his sons Edward Jr., John and William, of Barnard & Company, whose mark is found in full on the outer edge of the font's foot, and found in part on the inside of the bowl.⁸ After completion, the font was invoiced to the London goldsmiths firm E. & W. Smith the day before the christening in February 1841.⁹

The one-piece portable Lily Font is 17" (432 mm) high, with the bowl having a diameter of 17" (432 mm); the total weight is 319 oz. 12 dwt (9.94kg).¹⁰ The Times described the font as a "beautifully formed tazza of silver-gilt", which "showed a great deal of elegant fancy in the design, and the most consummate skill in the execution".¹¹

Starting with the base*, the wide triangular plinth is entirely decorated with foliage of acanthus leaves and a trio of cherubs playing the lyre.¹² Resting their backs against the font's stem, the infant angels, who are "boldly executed in full relief", sit above "three coats-of-arms and supporters, the first of Queen Victoria accolé with Prince Albert, the second of the Prince with the Garter Motto and the third of the Princess Royal, with bold fluted scrolls between", also in full relief.¹³ The high, sturdy leaf stem is "composed of outcurved matted leaves".¹⁴ It supports a large round shell, whose rim has "an applied border of eight open water-lilies with buds and leaves between, and a central lily rosette".¹⁵

* The description of the font is drawn from three sources: The Crown Jewels (a scholarly work, which provides two comprehensive descriptions of the Lily Font, with accompanying photo), The Times (various christening accounts of Queen Victoria's children), and The Royal Encyclopedia (its article "Lily Font").

The font was used primarily in the private chapels at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, but it was also used outside these traditional royal venues, such as at St Ann's Church in Bagshot for the christening of Princess Patricia (the youngest child of the Duke of Connaught) in 1886, and at White Lodge in Richmond Park for the christening of Prince Edward (eldest child of the Duke of York) in 1894. Additionally, the use of the font was not limited to the christenings of Queen Victoria's male-line descendants, but was also used at some of her female-line descendants, such as at the christening of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (eldest child of Princess Alice) at Windsor Castle in 1863, and at the christening of Princess Victoria's son, the future Earl Mountbatten of Burma, at Frogmore House in 1900.

The Lily Font was stored at Windsor Castle until the mid-1960s when it moved to the Tower of London, where it joined other royal exhibits in the Jewel House.¹⁶

Other Royal Baptismal Fonts

The earliest surviving royal font is the silver-gilt font and basin made on the orders of King Charles II.¹⁷ It is dated 1660, and is sometimes referred incorrectly as the 'gold font' or the '1660 gold font'.¹⁸ The font was made by an unknown craftsman, although the mark RF (which appears in several places on the font) suggests the possibility that it might have been goldsmith Richard Farmer, who worked in London at this time.¹⁹

The font is 37 1/2" (952 mm) high overall, with a 23 1/8" (587 mm) wide basin. The font and cover weigh 621 oz. 10 dwt (19.33 kg), while the basin weighs 292 oz. 12 dwt (9.10 kg); the overall weight is 914 oz. 3 dwt (28.43 kg).²⁰

This unique font of 'considerable virtuosity' is described by the authoritative Crown Jewels as:

a circular bowl supported by a tall cylindrical stem with a central knop [a small decorative knob] and spreading circular foot. Its domed cover rises to a circular vase finial [an ornamental terminating part] [...]. The bowl of the font is repoussé and finely chased* with ropes and drapery involving six cherubs [...]. The stem is chased with flowers and foliage in flat relief and the knop and foot with acanthus and palm leaves. The cover border is similarly decorated to the bowl [...]. The basin or dish stand is of shaped circular outline, finely chased with birds, flowers and cherubs [...]²¹

* repoussé and chasing are metalsmithing techniques; one method of repoussé is "the combination of tracing the design on the front of the piece using liners (tracers), raising a relief by pushing from the back using different punches, and finally working the details on the front of the piece", while chasing involves "working on the front of the piece only". (from "Ornamental Chasing and Repoussé", by Valentin Yotkov, Bulgarian master silversmith at http://www.valentinyotkov.com/article.htm)

The font was first officially used for the christening of Prince James Francis Edward, son of King James II, in October 1688.²² It was regilt in 1702, and was then used at royal christenings until Princess Charlotte's baptism in 1796, apparently the last recorded occasion.²³ (The font was used for nearly all of King George III's children, according to certain sources.)²⁴ Although there isn't any official documentation, records suggest it was also used at the christening of the future Queen Victoria in 1819.²⁵ The font was used at the christening of Victoria's son in 1842, but it played a supporting role. The font, standing in its basin, rested on a low platform; within this larger font was placed the smaller Lily Font that held the water with which the Prince of Wales was christened.²⁶ The 1660 font was used perhaps for the last time at the christening of Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's third child, in 1843, where it was used in the same manner as in the previous year.²⁷ After this date, though, it does not seem to have been used, either as the principal font, or as a secondary font. No mention of its use is found in descriptions of subsequent royal christenings (for example, those in The Times), nor is it featured in paintings of royal christenings (for example, the Christening of Prince Alfred, by James Doyle, in 1844).

The 1660 christening font and basin is part of the kingdom's regalia and is stored in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.²⁸

Other items associated with past royal baptisms include a silver-gilt christening basin and ewer of British manufacture made about 1735. Engraved inscriptions found on both items state that "this ewer and basin was used at the Christening of George the Third [and] at the Christening of H.R.H. Prince Alfred Son of George the Third".²⁹ The oval basin is 18" (457 mm) long and weighs 80 oz. 1 dwt (2.49 kg). The overall height of the pear-shaped ewer is 18" (457 mm), and weighs 97 oz. 8 dwt (2.47 kg). Both pieces are engraved with the Royal arms of King George III. The maker and supplier of the basin and ewer are unknown, but it was possibly goldsmith George Wickes, a royal warrant holder of Frederick, Prince of Wales.³⁰

Finally, a large, round silver dish and matching rose-water ewer, made in Augsburg ca 1715, were used at the christening of the future Queen Mary in July 1867. The dish was also used at the christening of Prince Edward of York, later King Edward VIII, in 1894 and possibly used at the christening of his younger brother Albert (later King George VI) in 1896. The two pieces, decorated in "the formal baroque manner", were sold at auction for £900 in April 1968.³¹

Footnotes:

1. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449, and Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948. Vicky's christening is commemorated in the painting Christening of the Princess Royal, by C.R. Leslie. (See, for example, Gernsheim, Queen Victoria, p. 70, illustration 53)
2. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 443, and The Times, 11 February 1841.
3. Allison/Riddell, Royal Encyclopedia, p. 313.
4. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 450.
5. The Times, 22 March 1978.
6. The Times, 22 March 1978. A ewer is a decorative water pitcher with handle and spout.
7. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 447.
8. Blair, Crown Jewels, pp 449-450.
9. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449. Twice, on the occasions of the christenings of Princess Victoria and her sister Princess Helena, The Times reported that the firm "Messrs. E. and W. Smith" was responsible for the new font. (The Times, 11 February 1841 and 24 July 1846). Nearly one hundred years later, a letter to the editor of The Times written a few days after the christening of the Duke of Kent's daughter, Princess Alexandra, in 1937 stated that firm "E. J. and W. Barnard" made the font. (The Times, 12 February 1937) The Times was correct in its reports, in so far that both firms were involved with the font.
10. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449. This source features a photograph of the Lily Font (p. 448). The Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948, also features a large photograph of the font (p. 685).
11. The Times, 11 March 1864 and The Times, 11 February 1841. A tazza is an ornamental cup or vase with a large, flat, shallow bowl, resting on a pedestal.
12. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449, and The Royal Encyclopedia, p. 313.
13. The Times, 24 July 1846, and Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449.
14. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449. Allison/Riddell, Royal Encyclopedia, p. 313 says the stem is lily-shaped.
15. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 449.
16. Allison/Riddell, Royal Encyclopedia, p. 313. The newly-renovated underground Jewel House, which displays and stores the Lily font, Crown jewels, Coronation robes, and many other priceless items, was opened to the public in July 1967. (The Times, 6 July 1967) The font was kept at Windsor Castle as late as 1962, when it was brought to Buckingham Palace for the christening of the Earl of St. Andrews, elder son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, in September 1962. (The Times, 15 September 1962)
17. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 444, which adds that the King's cypher CR and crown are engraved upon the font. The Times, 12 February 1937 gives a range of years, that is, 1660-1661.
18. The only gold font in England (the "most valuable vessel in private hands") seems to have been the solid gold font (222 oz. of 22-carat gold) made in the 1790s by goldsmith Paul Storr's firm for the christening of Viscount Woodstock, grandson of the 3rd Duke of Portland. Known as the "Portland Font" or the "George III Font", it was sold at auction for £950,400 in 1985 after the death of the 7th Duke of Portland in 1977. (The Times, 3 June 1985, 4 July 1985, 9 July 1985 and 12 July 1985)
19. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 444.
20. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 443.
21. Blair, Crown Jewels, pp 443-444.
22. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 444, and Woodham-Smith, Queen Victoria, p. 35. Other sources incorrectly report when the font was first used. For example, The Times, 26 January 1842, on the occasion of the christening of the Prince of Wales, stated that the font was "used at the christening of Charles II". St Aubyn, Edward VII, p. 17 goes further back in time by stating that the Prince was baptised from "the font used for the christening of Charles I".
23. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 445.
24. The Times, 12 February 1937, and Woodham-Smith, Queen Victoria, p. 35.
25. Woodham-Smith, Queen Victoria, p. 35. The author adds that "the weight of contemporary evidence is so great that the use of the 'gold font' [at the christening] is accepted as an historical fact". According to other biographies of Her Majesty (among them Lee, Queen Victoria, p. 11, and Longford, Victoria, p. 24), the 'gold font' was part of the christening ceremony.
26. The Christening of the Prince of Wales, by Sir George Hayter, in, for example, Gernsheim, Queen Victoria, p. 73, illustration 57.
27. Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948. (which shows, on p. 686, an engraving of Princess Alice's christening taken from an 1843 Illustrated London News.)
28. King Charles II's font seems to be the same one as the "London No. 1, Tower of London Regalia royal font (London)" mentioned in the 'Font Inventory' of Baptisteria Sacra: An Iconographic Index of Baptismal Fonts (at http://www.library.utoronto.ca/bsi/index.html), and the same font itemized in the official list of the Regalia stored in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, and which is described as "a noble silver font, double gilt, that the kings and royal family were christened in". (London in 1731, by Don Manoel Gonzales, London: Cassell & Co., reprinted 1888, and seen as a Project Gutenberg etext at http://etext.teamnesbitt.com/books/etext/etext01/londn10.txt.html) This last list seems to be taken from a broadsheet titled "A List of Her [Majesty's] Regalia, besides Plate, and other Rich Things, at the Jewel-House in the Tower of London" and circulated during the reign of Queen Anne. It is reproduced as an illustration (Plate 38) on p. 64 of The English Regalia: Their History, Custody & Display, by Martin Holmes and H.D.W. Sitwell (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1972). The font is item number 8: "A Noble Silver Font, double Gilt, that the Queen and Royal Family were [Christened] in."
29. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 447.
30. Blair, Crown Jewels, p. 447.
31. The Times, 11 April 1968. The dish and ewer were sent to the Christie's sale by Lady Mary Whitley, a great-niece of Queen Mary.

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Christening Cakes

Princess Victoria of Great Britain, Princess Royal

The Princess Royal's christening cake was described by The Times in the following words: it was "of the most enormous dimensions; round it was a wreath of flowers; on the top of it a rock, surmounting which Neptune, driving his hippocampi, and in the car a figure of Britannia, holding in her arms the Infant Princess Royal, the whole being executed in sugar, and being a very fair specimen of the confectioner's skill".¹

Queen Victoria kept samples of Vicky and Bertie's christening cakes in small silver boxes.²

King Edward VII

The Prince of Wales's christening cake was an even more elaborate creation than the cake served at his elder sister's baptism. Two men were responsible for making this cake: Mr. Mawditt (first yeoman in the confectionery department) and his assistant Mr. Thomas (second yeoman). They began their task in mid-December 1841 with the "manufacture of some splendid and appropriate devices for the 'christening cake' of the infant Prince [...]".³ The finished product was put on display in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle, which adjoins the lengthy and lofty St George's Hall where the guests dined at the State Banquet, and where the cake was cut and distributed to the guests.⁴ The Times reported that the cake was:

"on a scale of magnitude and magnificence quite unrivalled, [it] stands on a silver plateau about 30 inches in diameter, and is, with its figured ornaments, upwards of 4 feet high. Without its ornaments it would appear like a Colosseum of sugar. The base is ornamented with the rose, shamrock, and thistle. Immediately above are medallions in silver of the Queen and Prince, all around alternating with the Prince of Wales's plume. Over the medallions are placed the Royal arms, while above the feathers appear the arms and emblems (the harp and leek) of Wales. The upper edge of the cake is corniced with an ornamental scroll. Above this are six pediments, with three pedestals on the uppermost, on which are placed female figures representing Ceres, Justice, and Plenty, and on yet loftier pedestals appear Britannia bearing the infant Prince, Clio with her historic pencil in hand, and St. David with his harp invoking a blessing on the child. Between these three last figures is the baptismal font, the whole being executed in a style of exquisite art by the Chief Yeoman of Her Majesty's Confectionary, Mr. Mawditt."⁵

Prince Alfred of Great Britain, Duke of Edinburgh (later the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)

Prince Alfred's christening cake was placed on display in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. The cake's decoration was again entrusted to Mr. Mawditt, Her Majesty's Confectioner. It was on a somewhat less grand scale than the cake prepared for the Prince of Wales, but nonetheless elegant. (Viscountess Canning, one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting who was in attendance at the dinner thought the cake looked 'small and genteel'.)⁶ The "top [of the cake] was covered with a representation of an elegant fountain [...] from the centre of which arose a figure of Peace, bearing in her hand a crown of laurel; a cornucopia at her feet and supported by a number of infantine figures; the sides of the cake were tastefully decorated with garlands of artificial flowers."⁷

Princess Helena of Great Britain

Princess Helena's cake was the "principal ornament of the supper table" at the banquet held on the evening of her christening at Buckingham Palace. Mr. Mawditt, Her Majesty's Confectioner, once again had the honour of making the cake, which was "encircled with garlands of flowers, and was covered with an open circular temple supported by arcades, the front of each pier having a column entwined with small artificial flowers, while miniature bouquets were inserted in vases placed in the opening of each arch."⁸

Prince Arthur of Great Britain, Duke of Connaught

Prince Arthur's "magnificent christening cake" was "exquisitely decorated" and an "object of great interest".⁹ The cake was placed "on the middle of the dinner table on the plateau of the magnificent service of gold plate" during the banquet that was held after his baptism. The top of the cake "represented an octangular [octagonal] fountain, ornamented with a number of small vases filled with miniature bouquets. The fountain rested on a circular plinth, containing a number of painted vignettes set in silver frames."¹⁰

Prince Leopold of Great Britain, Duke of Albany

Prince Leopold's cake was on display "in the centre of the table opposite to Her Majesty's seat" during the State Banquet in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. The christening cake "was raised in three portions or stages, the base being decorated with wreaths of white and red roses. The two upper divisions were faced with crimson satin, on which were displayed, in white letters, the initials "P.L.", surmounted by a crown varied with ornaments of pearls and white roses. The cake was crowned with a golden cup, filled with flowers. Oval ornaments, representing the four seasons, were placed round the cake."¹¹

Prince Albert Victor of Great Britain, Duke of Clarence

Prince Albert Victor had a "superb christening cake" that was placed "conspicuously" in the Ball Supper Room, where the royal guests assembled for their refreshments.¹²

Prince Arthur of Great Britain

Following the baptism of her grandson Prince Arthur in February 1883, Queen Victoria sent "some of little Baby Arthur's Christening cake" to her Hessian grandchildren in Darmstadt.¹³

The Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII)

The future King Edward VIII had at least three christening cakes. In addition to the two cakes that had been received at White Lodge where the christening took place, the ladies of Cheltenham gave as their gift to the infant Prince a cake paid for through subscription.¹⁴

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Princess Royal

Princess Mary's christening cake was made by the Edinburgh firm McVitie and Price. The cake "weighed about 70lb., and was surmounted by a banner bearing the Royal coronet and the letters 'V.A.A.M.', the initials of the Princess."¹⁵

HM The Queen

The future Queen Elizabeth II's christening cake was also made by McVitie and Price.¹⁶ After her afternoon christening, "there was a small family tea party at 17 Bruton Street, residence of the Duke and Duchess of York, when the Duchess cut the magnificent christening cake, which was ornamented in traditional fashion with a silver cradle."¹⁷ It seems that just a handful of newspapers reported the christening or published a photograph of the "simple cake decorated with the white roses of the House of York and a little silver cradle with a baby inside".¹⁸

Princess Margaret of Great Britain

An "enormous cake was sent down from Scotland" for Princess Margaret's christening.¹⁹ Soon after the baptism, her mother the Duchess of York "sent to each home in Glamis [in Scotland] a piece of Princess Margaret Rose's christening cake. The boxes, each bearing the inscription, "H.R.H. Princess Margaret Rose of York's christening cake" have just been delivered by post", reported The Times.²⁰

HRH The Duke of Kent

Prince Edward's "big white christening cake was cut in one of the State rooms" at Buckingham Palace.²¹

HRH The Prince of Wales

Three main cakes were made for Prince Charles' christening in December 1948. All of them were on display in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where a family reception was held after the ceremony.²² The principal cake was made by McVitie and Price from the top tier of the official cake made for the wedding of Prince Charles' parents. More precisely, this top tier was "redecorated to form a christening cake for the Prince by hands which assisted in making the christening cake for his mother". It featured intricate lace work done in icing and was topped with a silver cradle in which a "baby doll dressed by the Royal School of Art Needlework in a christening robe" slept.²³ The second confection was a "magnificent christening cake" that weighed 130 lbs and was 36 inches high.²⁴ It was made by the students of the National Bakery School from ingredients supplied from around the British Empire.²⁵ The cake, exhibited at the Borough Polytechnic before the christening. is a sturdy, square-shaped cake topped with a coronet.²⁶ The third cake of two tiers was a group effort, and was contributed by the Universal Cookery and Food Association. The ingredients were supplied by the Association, the marzipan was made by students of the Acton Technical College, and the icing and decoration were made by Mr. E.C. Bell of the Worshipful Company of Bakers. The lower tier was made by the Manchester Training College of Domestic Economy, and the upper tier was made by the Monkey Club. The cake was decorated with small silver charms and other silver ornaments that were made by war-disabled ex-service silversmiths.²⁷ Last, a smaller cake (made for a 'private celebration') was baked by Mrs. Barnes, the cook at Prince Charles' parents' rented country house, Windlesham Moor in Berkshire. Mrs. Barnes "was obliged to limit the amount of sugar in the cake" due to war-time rations that were still in effect.²⁸

HRH The Princess Royal

Princess Anne had a "one-tier christening cake covered with white icing and surmounted by a small silver cradle containing a baby dressed in ivory lace. The front panel of the cake was decorated with the coats of arms of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh."²⁹

HRH Prince William of Great Britain

Prince William's christening cake was "by tradition the top layer of the Prince and Princess [of Wales'] wedding cake". Pieces of the cake were "distributed to 182 men of the Welsh Guards and the Parachute Regiment wounded in the Falklands conflict."³⁰

Footnotes:

1. The Times, 11 February 1841.
2. Staniland, In Royal Fashion, p. 124.
3. The Times, 18 December 1841.
4. Kidd, Royal Children, p. 30.
5. The Times, 26 January 1842.
6. Surtees, Charlotte Canning, p. 128.
7. The Times, 7 September 1844.
8. The Times, 27 July 1846.
9. Aston, His Royal Highness, p. 37.
10. The Times, 24 June 1850.
11. The Times, 29 June 1853.
12. Illustrated London News, 12 March 1864 and The Times, 11 March 1864.
13. Hough, Advice, p. 43.
14. The Times, 16 July 1894.
15. The Times, 8 June 1897.
16. The Times, 1 May 1926.
17. quoted in Rhodes (Usenet).
18. Courtney, Royal Children, p. 123.
19. Clear, Royal Children, p. 99.
20. The Times, 25 November 1930.
21. The Times, 21 November 1935.
22. The Times, 15 December 1948, The Times, 16 December 1948 and Holden, Prince Charles, p. 63.
23. Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948, which shows, on p. 687, a photograph of the cake and a close-up of the silver cradle.
24. Kidd, Royal Children, p. 122.
25. Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948.
26. Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948 and Kidd, Royal Children, p. 122. Photographs of the cake are found on p. 687 and p. 122 of these publications respectively.
27. Illustrated London News, 18 December 1948.
28. Kidd, Royal Children, pp 122-123.
29. The Times, 23 October 1950.
30. The Times, 5 August 1982.

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Christening Locations

Churches

All Saints Church, St Paul's Walden Bury

All Saints is located near the house of St Paul's Walden Bury, Hertfordshire. It is a small and pretty 12th-century village church. One of its south aisle windows contains a memorial to the Honourable Sir David Bowes-Lyon, youngest brother of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who was for many years church warden at All Saints.

Christ Church, Esher

Christ Church, built in 1854, is also known as Esher (Parish) Church. It is located in the centre of the small community of Esher, Surrey about 15 miles southwest of London. Nearby is Claremont, once the home of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (Queen Victoria's youngest son). Christ Church's architectural style is described as "restrained Victorian Gothic". The Church, with its "fine tower and spire", has monuments to Prince Leopold, husband of Princess Charlotte, heiress presumptive from 1796-1817 (Leopold later became King of the Belgians in 1831), and to the Duke of Albany.

St Anne's Church, Bagshot

St Anne's is a neo-gothic style church in Bagshot, Surrey. The church was built in 1883-1884 on land donated by HRH The Duke of Connaught (Queen Victoria's younger son) from his estate called Bagshot Park. The pews of St Anne's are made from specially imported Canadian pine. In March 1990, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother unveiled a plaque in memory of Lady Patricia Ramsay (née Princess Patricia, younger daughter of the Duke of Connaught), who lived nearby in the village of Windlesham and who worshipped regularly at St Anne's. Other Connaught links include the Duke's silken Garter banner, which his family gave to the Church after his death in 1942, a seascape near the lectern painted by Lady Patricia, and a carving over the pulpit depicting the Crucifixion that was given by the Duke's son, Prince Arthur.

St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham

St Mary Magdalene is also known as Sandringham Church or Sandringham Parish Church. It is located on the Sandringham estate near King's Lynn, Norfolk. The church's history dates to at least 1321, but its association with the royal family begins in 1862 when the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) bought the Sandringham estate. The royal family worships here when it is in residence at Sandringham; two pews in the chancel are reserved for the royal family, its guests and members of the Household. The public is welcome to attend the services. The christening font is at the west end of the church. Princess Eugenie of York, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, is the most recent member of the royal family to be christened here in 1990.

St Peter's, Hovingham

St Peter's is a small church, located next door to Hovingham Hall near York, Yorkshire, the home of the Worsley baronets. Its rose-marble christening font dates back to Saxon times.

Chapels

Chapel Royal, St James's Palace

The Chapel Royal is one of two chapels at St James's Palace (the other is the Queen's Chapel). King Henry VIII acquired a convent on the site of what is now St James's Palace in 1531. He had the convent rebuilt, but little of the building remains today except for the chapel. In 1836, the chapel was enlarged and renovated with oak panelling and a new ceiling. It was damaged during World War II, and subsequently restored. The chapel is used as a place of worship and has been the location of weddings (for example, Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) and christenings (the most recent one seems to be that of Lady Amelia Windsor, granddaughter of HRH The Duke of Kent, in December 1995). It was here that the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales was placed before the altar prior to her funeral in September 1997. The Royal Chapel is not open to the public except for Sunday services from October to Easter.

Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace

One of King George III's libraries, the Octagon Library, built in the 1760s, was converted into a chapel; it was located on the south side of Buckingham Palace. In the early years of Queen Victoria's reign, Her Majesty had one of the Palace's conservatories (located on the west garden side of Buckingham Palace) transformed into a chapel, because she did not like the older octagonal chapel. When it was completed, the new chapel was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in March 1843, just in time for the christening of Queen Victoria's daughter Alice that June. Nearly one hundred years later, the chapel was destroyed during World War II when the Palace was hit by bombs in September 1940. Princess Alexandra, daughter of the Duke of Kent, and Princess Irene, granddaughter of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, were the last royal children to be christened in the chapel in 1937 and 1940 respectively before it was destroyed in the Blitz. Some years later, the site of the former chapel was restored, and a small section of it was made over into a tiny chapel. However, at Prince Philip's suggestion, most of the original site became the Queen's Gallery where royal art treasures are exhibited. (The Gallery was opened to the public for the first time in July 1962.)

Private Chapel, Kensington Palace

The Private Chapel at Kensington Palace was originally built for King William III, and had its own resident chaplain. The Chapel did not have a fixed location throughout most of its history, being relocated in various areas of the Palace from time to time. It finally had a permanent location (where it is currently situated), when King Edward VII ordered the Chapel closed in 1901 and abolished the position of the chaplain. Much restoration work was done to the Chapel between 1999 and 2002, when HM The Queen re-opened the Chapel during her Golden Jubilee. Lady Davina Windsor, elder daughter of HRH The Duke of Gloucester, was married in the Chapel in the summer of 2004.

Private Chapel, Windsor Castle

The Private Chapel in Windsor Castle is located between St George's Hall and the Crimson Drawing Room. It was a somewhat gloomy chapel until Queen Elizabeth II ordered its renovation in 1976. The Chapel was the site of the 1992 fire at the Castle, which started when some curtains caught alight. (Part of this area is now the Lantern Lobby and a plaque indicates where the fire started.) Instead of restoring the Chapel in its entire former location, a new neo-Gothic style Private Chapel was designed by Giles Downes and built nearby in what used to be the Holbein Room. Viscount Linley, the Queen's nephew, designed and made a new altar for the Chapel, while the Duke of Edinburgh designed six new stained glass windows depicting the November 1992 fire. Lady Louise Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, is the most recent member of the royal family to be christened here in 2004.

St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

St George's Chapel is located within the grounds of Windsor Castle, just outside the town of Windsor, about twenty miles west of London. The present chapel dates to 1475 when King Edward IV was responsible for its construction; it was completed in 1528 during the reign of King Henry VIII. The public is welcome to attend the services. (The royal family worships here, or at All Saints Church, near Royal Lodge, when it is in residence at Windsor Castle.) Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, is the most recent member of the royal family to be christened here in 1984.

Other Locations

Cupola Room, Kensington Palace

The Cupola Room, sometimes known as the "grand saloon", is one of the State Apartments at Kensington Palace. It is lavishly decorated, and is centrally located within the Palace. The Room has marble niches, a fireplace, and column-framed doors, but its outstanding feature is the unique ceiling. With its steeply curved or coved sides, the ceiling is "entirely of architectural trompe l'oeil, representing a four-sided coffered cupola of a type well represented in Roman architecture, but with a Garter Star at its apex".

Lower Bow Room, Buckingham Palace

The Lower Bow Room, known today as the Bow Room, was also known as the Bow Library or the 1853 Room, so-called because it contains the portraits of the distinguished visitors who attended the christening of Queen Victoria's son, Prince Leopold, in 1853. This Semi-State Apartment is decorated in white and gold, and is located on the ground floor of Buckingham Palace, directly below the Music Room (see the following entry). The Bow Room faces the west (garden) side of the Palace, and is familiar to the many people who are invited every year to the royal garden-parties, as they make their way through its five tall window-doors that open onto the broad terrace and the expansive lawns of Buckingham Palace.

Music Room, Buckingham Palace

This bow-fronted room, once known as the Bow Drawing Room, is painted white and gold, and located on the principal floor of the Palace facing the west garden side. Like the room below it, the Bow Room on the ground floor (see the previous entry), it also has a bay of five graceful windows. The Music Room is used by HM The Queen for receptions and for receiving guests during State visits, as well as for christenings of members of her extended family. Prince William of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II's grandson, is the most recent member of the royal family to be christened here in 1982.

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Christenings of the Royal Family

King George I
(1660)

Parents: Prince Ernst August of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, later still Ernst August I, Elector of Hanover) and Countess Palatine Sophie (Sophia) of the Rhine (later Heiress Presumptive of Great Britain)
Born: 28 May (Old Style)/7 June (New Style) 1660 at Hanover; Died: 11 (Old Style)/22 June (New Style) 1727 at Osnabrück
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Georg Ludwig
Godparents: [information unknown]

King George II
(1683)

Parents: Prince Georg of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later Georg, Elector of Hanover, later still George I, King of Great Britain) and Princess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
Born: 30 October (Old Style)/9 November (New Style) 1683 at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover; Died: 25 October 1760 at Kensington Palace
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Georg August
Godparents: [information unknown]

Princess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg
(1687)

Parents: Prince Georg of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later Georg, Elector of Hanover, later still George I, King of Great Britain) and Princess Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle
Born: 16 (Old Style)/26 March (New Style) 1687 at Hanover; Died: 28 June 1757 at Schloss Monbijou, Berlin
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Sophia Dorothea
Godparents: [information unknown]

Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales
(1707)

Parents: George, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Marquess and Duke of Cambridge and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 20 (Old Style)/31 January (New Style) 1707 at the Leine Schloss, Hanover; Died: 20 (Old Style)/ 31 March (New Style) 1751 at Leicester House (London)
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Friedrich Ludwig
Godparents:
• George, Elector of Hanover (later George I, King of Great Britain, his grandfather)
• Friedrich I, King of Prussia (his great-uncle)

Princess Anne of Hanover, later of Great Britain, Princess Royal
1709

Parents: George, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Marquess and Duke of Cambridge and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 22 October (Old Style)/2 November (New Style) 1709 at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover; Died: 12 January 1759 at The Hague
Christened: [information incomplete] 22 October (Old Style)/2 November (New Style) 1709 at Schloss Herrenhausen*
Names: Anne†
Godparents: [information unknown]
Sources: AD III:124 note 37

* Princess Anne was christened shortly after her birth, according to the baptismal registers of the Schlosskirche. (Huberty, Allemagne Dynastique, Tome III, p. 124 note 37)

† She was named in honour of Queen Anne.

Princess Amelia of Hanover, later of Great Britain
(1711)

Parents: George, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Marquess and Duke of Cambridge and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 30 June (Old Style)/10 July (New Style) 1711 at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover; Died: 31 October 1786 at her house in Cavendish Square (London)
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Amalie Sophie Eleonore
Godparents: [information unknown]

Princess Caroline of Hanover, later of Great Britain
(1713)

Parents: George, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Marquess and Duke of Cambridge and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 30-31 May (Old Style)/10-11 June (New Style) 1713 at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover; Died: 28 December 1757 at St James’s Palace
Christened: [information incomplete] 1 (Old Style)/12 June (New Style) 1713 at Schloss Herrenhausen*
Names: Caroline Elizabeth
Godparents: [information unknown]
Sources: AD III:125 note 44; BBR:59

* Princess Caroline was christened shortly after her birth, according to the baptismal registers of the Schlosskirche. (Huberty, Allemagne Dynastique, Tome III, p. 125 note 44)

Prince George of Great Britain
1717

Parents: Prince George of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 2 (Old Style)/13 November (New Style) 1717 at St James’s Palace; Died: 6 (Old Style)/17 February (New Style) 1718 at Kensington Palace
Christened: 28 November 1717 (Old Style) at St James’s Palace* by John Robinson, Bishop of London†
Names: George William‡
Godparents:
• King George I (his grandfather)
• Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (Lord Chamberlain of the King’s Household)
• the Duchess of St Albans (wife of the 1st Duke, and First Lady of the Bedchamber and Lady of the Stole to the Princess of Wales)§
Sources: BBR:173; CP XI:288 note g; Plumb:55-56; Pyne III:40-41; Sheppard II:48-49; Sinclair:100-101

* The Bishop of London baptised the infant Prince, according to Pyne, History, Vol. III, p. 40, but Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 48 says it was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

† Prince George’s christening took place in his mother’s bedchamber at St James’s Palace. (Pyne, History, Vol. III, p. 40, Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 48 and Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 100) According to Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 173, the event was recorded in the baptismal registers of St-Martin-in-the-Fields.

‡ Wallace/Taylor, Royal Mothers, p. 122 states that his parents wanted to name their son 'William', but his grandfather the King said he would be named George in his honour. Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 100 mistakenly refers to this child as "Frederick, Prince of Wales".

§ A quarrel between his parents and his grandfather King George I regarding the choice of his godparents led to his parents being expelled from St James’s Palace by the King. The Prince of Wales 'detested' the Duke of Newcastle, and wanted the King and the King's brother, Ernst August, to be godparents. (Plumb, First Four Georges, pp 55-56; Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, pp 100-101; Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 173) His Majesty got his way, though, for he and the Duke were godfathers. To make matters worse, the Prince and Princess of Wales were expelled from their home, lost the guardianship of their children, and were allowed to visit their children only after they first got permission from the King. George I had sought the opinion of judges on this matter, and it was determined in 1718 that "the education and care of all the king's grandchildren while minors, and the care and approbation of their marriages, when grown up, did belong of right to his [Majesty] as king of this realm, during their father's life." (Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book 1, Chapter 4, "Of the King's Royal Family", p. 219, at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/blackstone/bk1ch4.htm)

Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Cumberland
(1721)

Parents: Prince George of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 15 (Old Style)/26 April (New Style) 1721 at Leicester House (London)*; Died: 31 October 1765 at his house in Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: William Augustus
Godparents [incomplete list?]:
• Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia
• Queen Sophie Dorothea in Prussia (his paternal uncle and aunt)†
Sources: BBR:91-92; CP III:572; Marples:122

* Prince William was born at St James’s Palace, according to Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 572, but Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 91 says he was born at Leicester House.

† They did not appear at the christening as expected. (Marples, Poor Fred, p. 122)

Princess Mary of Great Britain
(1723)

Parents: Prince George of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 22 February (Old Style)/5 March (New Style) 1723 at Leicester House (London); Died: 14 January 1772 at Hanau
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Mary
Godparents: [information unknown]
Sources: AD I:143 and AD III:113

Princess Louisa of Great Britain
(1724)

Parents: Prince George of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (later King George II and Queen Caroline)
Born: 7 (Old Style)/18 December (New Style) 1724 at Leicester House (London); Died: 8 (Old Style)/19 December (New Style) 1751 at Christianborg Castle
Christened: [information unknown]
Names: Louisa
Godparents: [information unknown]

Princess Augusta of Great Britain, Princess Royal
1737

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 31 July (Old Style)/11 August (New Style) 1737 at St James’s Palace*; Died: 23 March 1813 in Hanover Square (London)
Christened: 29 August 1737 (Old Style) at St James's Palace by John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury†
Names: Augusta‡
Godparents:
• King George II (her paternal grandfather, who was represented by Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, Lord Chamberlain of the Household)
• Queen Caroline (her paternal grandmother, who was represented by proxy)
• the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Gotha (her maternal grandmother, who was represented by proxy)§
Sources: AD III:115-116 note 4; BBR:36; Gent. Mag., Vol. 7, August 1737, p. 504 and p. 513; Marples:66-67; Pyne III:58-59; Sheppard II:21-22 and 51-52; Sinclair:101

* Princess Augusta was born on 31 July (Old Style), according to her father, the Prince of Wales, in a letter dated St James's 31 July 1737 in which he informs his mother, Queen Caroline, that his wife "a été délivrée une heur après [...] d'une fille" (quoted in Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 21). Further, Sheppard quotes from John, Lord Hervey's Memoirs of the Reign of George II (Hervey was Vice Chamberlain of the Household 1730-1740) that "At a quarter before eleven she [the Princess of Wales] was delivered of a little rat of a girl [...]". Gentleman’s Magazine (August 1737, p. 504) also gives the date of birth as 31 July, as seen from its report dated Hampton Court, Monday, August 1: “Yesterday [31 July 1737] being Sunday [...] her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales [...] was a little after 11 o’Clock safely and happily delivered of a Princess”. (Pyne, History, Vol. III, p. 58, also says that Princess Augusta was born on 31 July 1737, at 11 p.m.) However, Huberty, Allemagne Dynastique, Tome III, p. 130 and p. 111 says the Princess was born on "12-8-1737 n.s.", and cites two sources as proof: the baptismal registers of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace (which states: "Princess Augusta [...] Born August 1st 1737 - Baptised August 29"), and the Gazette de France, which published on 24 August a dispatch from London dated 15 August that read: “Le 11, à dix heures du soir, la princesse de Galles revint de Hamptoncourt au Palais de St James et vers une heure après minuit, elle accoucha heureusement d’une princess.” (Huberty, Allemagne Dynastique, Tome III, pp 115-116 note 4)

† According to Gent. Mag., Vol. 7, August 1737, p. 513, Princess Augusta was christened “about Eight o'Clock in the Evening”. Additionally, “the Font and Flaggons for the Christening were brought from the Tower, and were those used for the Royal Family for some hundred Years past.” Pyne, History, Vol. III, p. 59, also mentions the use of the font and flagons at Princess Augusta’s christening. Unfortunately, neither source provides a description of this font.

‡ Princess Augusta was named after her mother. Her father wanted her referred to as HRH Lady Augusta instead of Princess Augusta, because the ‘title was reserved for his wife’. (Marples, Poor Fred, p. 66)

§ Every godparent suggested by the Prince and Princess of Wales was turned down by King George II. In the end, “the King and Queen themselves could scarcely avoid being god-parents, but took care to be represented by proxies”, while the Dowager Duchess’ absence from the christening was due to the “difficulty and inconvenience of the long journey from Gotha”. (Marples, Poor Fred, p. 67) According to Gent. Mag., Vol. 7, August 1737, p. 513, Queen Caroline was represented by the Countess of Burlington (wife of the 3rd Earl, and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Caroline) and the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Gotha was represented by Lady Torrington (wife of the 2nd Viscount, and Lady of Bedchamber to the Princess of Wales). However, Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 519 (which seems to be quoting a text that is very nearly phrased the same as Gent. Mag.) says that the Queen was represented by the Duchess of Richmond (first Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Caroline) and that the Dowager Duchess was represented by the Countess of Burlington.

King George III
1738

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 24 May (Old Style)/4 June (New Style) 1738 at Norfolk House, St James's Square, London; Died: 29 January 1820 at Windsor Castle
Christened: publicly 21 June 1738 (Old Style)* at Norfolk House by Edmund Gibson, Bishop of Oxford†
Names: George William Frederick
Godparents:
• Frederik I, King of Sweden
• Friedrich I, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (for whom Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore (Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales) stood proxy)
• Friedrich III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (his maternal uncle, for whom James Brydges, 1st Marquess of Carnarvon stood proxy)‡
• Queen Sophia Dorothea of Prussia (his great-aunt, for whom Lady Charlotte Edwin [Edwyn] (Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princess of Wales) stood proxy)
Sources: Gent. Mag., Vol. 8, May 1738, p. 275 and Vol. 8, June 1738, p. 323; The Times, 26 January 1842

* The Times, 26 January 1842 states that the public christening took place 22 June 1783.

† The future King George III was born prematurely between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. Because he 'was very ill', he was baptized privately that same day at 11:00 p.m. by the Bishop of Oxford, who was also rector of St. James's, Westminster. He was given the name George, but at his public baptism that June, he received the names George William Frederick.

‡ Gent. Mag., Vol. 8, June 1738, p. 323 identifies the proxy for the Duke of Saxe-Gotha as "the Marquess of Caernarvon" [sic]. This gentleman is presumably Henry Brydges, styled by courtesy Marquess of Carnarvon, who succeeded his father as 2nd Duke of Chandos in 1744. Lord Carnarvon served the Prince of Wales in various capacities: Lord of the Bedchamber, Master of the Horse, and Groom of the Stole. (Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 131 and Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Household of Frederick, Prince of Wales 1729-51 at http://www.history.ac.uk/office/fred.html)

Prince Edward of Great Britain, Duke of York
1739

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 14 (Old Style)/25 March (New Style) 1739 at Norfolk House, St James’s Square, London; Died: 17 September 1767 at the Palais Princier in Monaco
Christened: 11 April 1739 (Old Style) at Norfolk House by Thomas Secker, Bishop of Oxford
Names: Edward Augustus
Godparents:
• Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia (his great-uncle, for whom Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry (Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales) stood proxy)
• Karl I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (a distant relative, for whom the Marquess of Carnarvon stood proxy)*
• the Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels (née Duchess Friederike of Saxe-Gotha, his maternal aunt, for whom Lady Charlotte Edwin [Edwyn] (Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princess of Wales) stood proxy)
Sources: BBR:352; CP XII/2:920; Gent. Mag., Vol. 9, March 1739, p. 159 and p. 214

* Gent. Mag., Vol. 9, March 1739, p. 214 identifies the proxy for the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel as "the Marquis of Carnarvan" [sic]. (For more information regarding this gentleman's presumed identity, see "King George III 1738" above.)

Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain
1741

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 30 December 1740 (Old Style)/10 January 1741 (New Style) at Norfolk House, St James’s Square; Died: 4 September 1759 at Kew Palace
Christened: 24 January 1741 (Old Style) at Norfolk House by Thomas Secker, Bishop of Oxford
Names: Elizabeth Caroline
Godparents:
• Karl, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (her father’s cousin-in-law, for whom Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore (Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales) stood proxy)
• Queen Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (wife of King Christian VI, for whom the Viscountess Irwin stood proxy)
• the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha (Louise Dorothea, wife of Friedrich III (brother of the Princess of Wales), for whom Lady Archibald Hamilton stood proxy)*
Sources: BBR:139; Gent. Mag., Vol. 10, January 1741, p. 49

* Gent. Mag., Vol. 10, January 1741, p. 49 identifies the proxy for Queen Sophia Magdalena as “the Lady Viscountess Irwin”. The Viscountess was presumably the former Lady Anne Howard, widow of the 5th Viscount Irwin [Irvine], who married secondly Colonel William Douglas in 1737. Anne was Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princess of Wales 1736-1764. (Complete Peerage, Vol. VII, p. 74 and Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Household of Princess Augusta 1736-72 at http://www.history.ac.uk/office/augusta.html) As for the proxy for the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha, Gent. Mag., Vol. 10, January 1741, p. 49 identifies her as “the Lady of Lord Archibald Hamilton”. Lady Archibald is presumably the former Lady Jane Hamilton, 3rd wife of Lord Archibald Hamilton, who was Cofferer to the Prince of Wales. (Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Household of Frederick, Prince of Wales 1729-51 at http://www.history.ac.uk/office/fred.html)

Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester
1743

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 14 (Old Style)/25 (New Style) November 1743 at Leicester House (London); Died: 25 August 1805 at his residence Gloucester House, Grosvenor Street, Middlesex
Christened: [information incomplete] 25 November 1743 (Old Style) at Leicester House
Names: William Henry
Godparents:
• Willem IV, Prince of Orange (his uncle, represented by proxy)
• Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (his paternal uncle)
• Princess Amelia (his paternal aunt)
Sources: BBR:177; CP V:744; Gent. Mag., Vol. 13, November 1743, p. 612

* Complete Peerage, Vol. V, p. 744 states that Prince William's christening took place at St Anne’s, Soho, Middlesex. This is probably incorrect, because as all the Prince of Wales' children were christened where they were born, it seems unlikely that his christening was elsewhere. What is more likely is that the christening took place at Leicester House (Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 177), and that it was recorded in the baptismal registers of St Anne’s. (This theory is further strengthened by the fact that Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 573 states that Prince William's brother's christening (Henry, in 1745) was registered at St Anne's.)

Prince Henry of Great Britain, Duke of Cumberland
1745

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 27 October (Old Style)/7 November (New Style) 1745 at Leicester House (London)*; Died: 18 September 1790 at his residence Cumberland House in Pall Mall, St James’s
Christened: [information incomplete] 19 November 1745 (Old Style) at Leicester House†
Names: Henry Frederick
Godparents: [information unknown]
Sources: AD III:141 note 47; BBR:92; CP III:573; Gent. Mag., Vol. 15, October 1745, p. 557

* Prince Henry was born 26 October 1745 according to Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 573 and Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 92. However, Huberty, Allemagne Dynastique, Tome III, p. 141 note 47 and Gent. Mag., Vol. 15, October 1745, p. 557 state that he was born 27 October 1745.

† His christening was recorded in the baptismal registers of St Anne’s, Soho, Middlesex, his father’s residence being located in that parish. (Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 573 and Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 92)

Princess Louisa of Great Britain
1749

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 8 (Old Style)/19 March (New Style) 1749 at Leicester House (London); Died: 13 May 1768 at Carlton House, St James’s
Christened: [information incomplete] 1 (Old Style)/11 April (New Style) 1749 at Leicester House
Names: Louisa Anne
Godparents:
• the Prince of Hesse (as is in Gent. Mag.; presumably Prince Friedrich (later Landgrave Friedrich II) of Hesse-Cassel, her father's brother-in-law)
• the Queen of Denmark (Louisa, her paternal aunt, wife of King Frederik V)
• the Princess of Orange (Anne, Princess Royal, her paternal aunt, wife of Willem IV)
(all were represented by proxy)
Sources: BBR:245; Gent. Mag., Vol. 19, March 1749, p. 141 and Vol. 19, April 1749, p. 183

Prince Frederick of Great Britain
1750

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 13 (Old Style)/24 May (New Style) 1750 at Leicester House (London)*; Died: 29 December 1765 at Leicester House
Christened: 17 June 1750 (Old Style) at Leicester House by Thomas Secker, Bishop of Oxford
Names: Frederick William
Godparents:
• Prince George (later King George III, his brother)
• Prince Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha (his maternal uncle, for whom Francis North, 7th Lord North (Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales) stood as proxy)
• Princess Augusta (his eldest sister)
Sources: BBR:157; Gent. Mag., Vol. 20, May 1750, p. 236 and Vol. 20, June 1750, p. 281

* According to Gent. Mag., Vol. 20, May 1750, p. 236, the “Princess of Wales [was delivered] of a princess” on this date. (‘Princess’ is obviously a typographical error.)

Princess Caroline Matilda of Great Britain
1751

Parents: Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Prince of Wales and Duchess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Born: 11 (Old Style)/22 July (New Style) 1751 at Leicester House (London); Died: 10 May 1775 at Schloss Celle, near Hanover
Christened: 21 July (Old Style)/1 August (New Style) 1751 at Leicester House by Thomas Hayter, Bishop of Norwich
Names: Caroline Matilda
Godparents:
• Prince George (later King George III, her brother)
• Princess Caroline (her paternal aunt, represented by proxy)
• Princess Augusta (her sister)
Sources: BBR:59

King George IV
1762

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 12 August 1762 at St James's Palace; Died: 26 June 1830 at Windsor Castle
Christened: 8 September 1762* in the Great Council Chamber at St James's Palace† by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury
Names: George Augustus Frederick
Godparents:
• Adolf Friedrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (his maternal uncle, for whom William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household) stood proxy)
• Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (his paternal great-uncle)
• the Dowager Princess of Wales (his paternal grandmother Augusta)
Sources: BBR:166; CP III:450; Greig:50-51; Hedley:76; Hibbert (George IV):18; Sheppard II:53; Sinclair:101; Smith:2; Walkley:122-123

* The future King George IV was christened on his parents' first wedding anniversary. (Hedley, Queen Charlotte, p. 76) The Duchess of Northumberland, Queen Charlotte's Mistress of the Robes, described the christening in her Diary. In her account, she mentions that "at the Feet [of the Queen's State bed] on Table stood a large Gilt Bowl on High Step & on each side Gilt Flaggons." The 'gilt bowl' is possibly the 1660 font (see Baptismal Fonts further above). (Elizabeth, Duchess of Northumberland, Diaries 1716-1776, ed. James Gray, 1926 quoted in Walkley, Welcome, p.123)

† According to Hedley, Queen Charlotte, p. 76, the baptism was held in the Great Drawing Room at the Palace. Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 450, Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 101, and Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 166 state that the christening took place 8 September 1762 at St James's Palace. The Times, 8 February 1841 gives the same date (8 September 1762) and adds that the christening was held "in the Great Council Chamber of the Palace, [and] the bedchamber of the Queen was thrown open [...]". According to Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 101, "when the christenings were held in this State room, the bed of the mother was placed where the Throne and Canopy usually stood, and all filed by as at a Drawing-room. Refreshments, such as tea-cakes and caudle, were afterwards served." The following sources give incorrect information: Hibbert, George IV, p. 18 (which says the christening took place in the Queen's drawing-room at St James's Palace); Kiste, George III's Children, p. 10 (which says the future King was baptized 16 September 1762 and adds it was an "unpretentious ceremony in the Queen's drawing-room at St James's"); The Times, 26 January 1842 and Smith, George IV, p. 2 (both state that the christening took place on 18 September 1762).

Prince Frederick of Great Britain, Duke of York
1763

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 16 August 1763 at St James’s Palace; Died: 5 January 1827 at the Duke of Rutland’s house, Arlington Street, St James’s
Christened: 14 September 1763 in the Presence Chamber at St James’s Palace by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury*
Names: Frederick Augustus
Godparents:
• Friedrich III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (his great-uncle, for whom Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Gower (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• Prince Edward, Duke of York (his uncle, for whom Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon (Groom of the Stole) stood proxy)
• Princess Amelia (his paternal great-aunt)
Sources: BBR:352; CP XII/2:921; Hedley:87; Sheppard II:54; Sinclair:101

* Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 101 makes a typographical error when it says the christening took place 14 September 1762.

King William IV
1765

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 21 August 1765 at Buckingham House (later Buckingham Palace); Died: 20 June 1837 at Windsor Castle
Christened: 18 September 1765 at St James's Palace by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury*
Names: William Henry
Godparents:
• Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (his uncle)
• Prince Henry (later Duke of Cumberland, his uncle)
• Princess Augusta (later the Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, his aunt)†
Sources: BBR:343; CP III:261; Hedley:98; Sheppard II:55; Sinclair:101-102; The Times, 26 January 1842

* The christening of the future King William IV took place 18 September 1765 (Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 55, Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102 and Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 343) in the Presence Chamber of St James's Palace (Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 55 and Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102) or in the Great Council Chamber there (Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 343). Complete Peerage, Vol. III, p. 261 states that the christening was held 20 September 1765 at (an unspecified location within) St James's Palace. The Times, 26 January 1842 gives the same date as Complete Peerage, but adds that the ceremony was held in the Great Council Chamber at the Palace.

† Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 343 says Princess Augusta (King George III's elder sister) was godmother, but Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 55 says it was Princess Louisa (the King's younger sister).

Princess Charlotte of Great Britain, Princess Royal
1766

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 29 September 1766 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 6 October 1828 at Ludwigsburg, Württemberg
Christened: 27 October 1766 at St James's Palace* by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury†
Names: Charlotte Augusta Matilda
Godparents:
• Christian VII, King of Denmark (her uncle, for whom William Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark (his wife, her paternal aunt, for whom the Dowager Countess of Effingham stood proxy)‡
• Princess Louisa (her paternal aunt)
Sources: BBR:77; Fraser:6-8; Sheppard II:55-56; Sinclair:102

* The specific christening location within the Palace was the Drawing Room, according to Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 55 and Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102, or the Chapel Royal, according to Fraser, Princesses, p. 6.

† A very large crowd of people ('many thousands') had assembled at St James's Palace on the day of the christening in order to partake of the customary cake and caudle that were served to visitors on such an occasion. When the Palace doors were finally opened, an 'extraordinary rush for admittance' occurred and many women 'were nearly killed' in the stampede. (Mrs. Matthew Hall, Royal Princesses of England, quoted in Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 56)

‡ The Dowager Countess of Effingham (née Elizabeth Beckford) was the widow of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte from 1761-1769. (For more information regarding Elizabeth Beckford, see "Princess Mary of Great Britain May 1776" further below.)

Prince Edward of Great Britain, Duke of Kent
1767

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 2 November 1767 at Buckingham House (later Buckingham Palace); Died: 23 January 1820 at Woodbrook Cottage, Sidmouth, Devon
Christened: 30 November 1767 at Buckingham Palace* by Richard Terrick, Bishop of London†
Name: Edward Augustus‡
Godparents:
• the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (later Karl II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, for whom Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• Prince Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (his maternal uncle, later Karl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, for whom Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon (Groom of the Stole) stood proxy)
• the Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel (his great-aunt Mary, daughter of King George II, for whom the Duchess of Hamilton stood proxy)§
• the Hereditary Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (his aunt Augusta, sister of King George III, who was represented by proxy)
Sources: BBR:233; CP VII:179; Duff (Edward):41 and 44; Gent. Mag., Vol. 37, Dec. 1767, p. 606; Sheppard II:56

* Complete Peerage, Vol. VII, p. 179 states that Prince Edward was christened at Buckingham Palace, and that the event was recorded in the baptismal registers of the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. However, Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 56 and Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 233 say the Prince was christened at St James Palace, while Duff, Edward, p. 44 specifies that it was held there in the Chapel Royal. Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102 states the infant Prince was christened at St James's Palace, but adds incorrectly "the evening of his birth; probably in his mother's room".

† The Bishop of London officiated at the baptism because the Archbishop of Canterbury was "indisposed". (Gent. Mag., Vol. 37, December 1767, p. 606)

‡ The prince was baptised 'Edward' (Gent. Mag., Vol. 37, Dec. 1767, p. 606 and Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 56), or 'Edward Augustus', the second name "after the uncle whose funeral knell had so closely followed his own joy bells" (Duff, Edward, p. 44).

§ Duff, Edward, p. 44 and Sheppard, Memorials, Vol. 2, p. 56 mention only three godparents, omitting the Hereditary Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, while Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 233 adds the Hereditary Princess. Duff, Edward, p. 44 identifies the proxy for the Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel as the "Duchess of Hamilton". The Duchess was presumably the former Elizabeth Gunning, widow of the 6th Duke of Hamilton, who married secondly the 5th Duke of Argyll in 1759. (For more information regarding Elizabeth Gunning, see "Princess Mary of Great Britain May 1776" further below.) Elizabeth was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte from 1761-1784.

Princess Augusta of Great Britain
1768

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 8 November 1768 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 22 September 1840 at Clarence House, St James’s
Christened: 6 December 1768 in the Great Council Chamber at St James’s Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury*
Names: Augusta Sophia
Godparents:
• Prince Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (later Karl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, her maternal uncle, who was on a visit to England and was present at the christening)
• Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark (her paternal aunt, for whom the Duchess of Ancaster (wife of the 3rd Duke, Mistress of the Robes) stood proxy)
• the Hereditary Princess (later Duchess) of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Augusta, her paternal aunt, for whom the Duchess of Northumberland (wife of the 1st Duke, and a Lady of the Bedchamber) stood proxy)
Sources: BBR:39; Sheppard II:56-57; Sinclair:102

* Williamson, Brewer's British Royalty, p. 39 states that Princess Augusta was christened 7 December 1768.

Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain
1770

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 22 May 1770 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 10 January 1840 at Frankfurt-am-Main
Christened: 17 June 1770 in the Great Council Chamber at St James's Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury*
Names: Elizabeth
Godparents:
• the Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Cassel (later Wilhelm I, Elector of Hesse, her father’s cousin, for whom Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• the Princess of Nassau-Weilburg (her father’s cousin, née Princess Caroline of Orange, wife of the (Reigning) Prince Karl, for whom the Dowager Countess of Effingham stood proxy)†
• the Crown Princess (later Queen) of Sweden (her father’s cousin, née Princess Sophie Magdalene of Denmark, wife of the future Gustaf III, King of Sweden, for whom the Countess of Holdernesse (wife of the 4th (and last) Earl of Holdernesse) stood proxy)
Sources: BBR:133; Cunnington/Lucas:55; Sheppard II:57; Sinclair:102

* Cunnington/Lucas, Costume, p. 55 states that her christening "was not even solemnized in church", although it was a "costly affair", and quotes from The Ipswich Journal, 19th June 1770: "... The Mantle which the young Princess wore ... was white satin, lined with pink, edged with ermine, and adorned with precious stones; the principal of which is said to be worth £1000, the whole mantle is valued at £2800."

† The Dowager Countess of Effingham (née Elizabeth Beckford) was the widow of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte from 1761-1769. (For more information regarding Elizabeth Beckford, see "Princess Mary of Great Britain May 1776" further below.)

Prince Ernest Augustus of Great Britain, Duke of Cumberland (later Ernst August, King of Hanover)
1771

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 5 June 1771 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 18 November 1851 at Schloss Herrenhausen, Hanover
Christened: 1 July 1771 in the Great Council Chamber at St James's Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury
Names: Ernest Augustus
Godparents:
• Prince Ernst of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (his maternal uncle)
• Duke Moritz of Saxe-Gotha (his paternal great-uncle, for whom Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• the Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Cassel (née Princess Caroline of Denmark, wife of the future Wilhelm I, Elector of Hesse (George III's cousin) for whom the Countess of Egremont stood proxy)*
Sources: BBR:93; CP III:573; Greig:71; Sheppard II:57-58; Sinclair:102

* Lady Egremont seems to be the widow of the 2nd Earl of Egremont (the former Alicia Maria Carpenter, daughter of the 2nd Baron Carpenter and sister of the 1st Earl of Tyrconnel), who was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. Lady Egremont married in 1767 Hans Moritz, Count von Bruhl.

Prince Augustus of Great Britain, Duke of Sussex
February 1773

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 27 January 1773 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 21 April 1843 at Kensington Palace
Christened: 25 February 1773 in the Great Council Chamber at St James's Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury*
Names: Augustus Frederick
Godparents:
• Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (his father’s cousin, for whom Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• Prince Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (his maternal uncle, for whom George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol (Groom of the Stole and First Lord of the Bedchamber) stood proxy)
• Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel (presumably née Princess Louise of Denmark, wife of Landgrave Karl of Hesse-Cassel, his father’s cousins, for whom Viscountess Weymouth (wife of the 3rd Viscount, and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte) stood proxy)
Sources: BBR:323; CP XII/1:535; Gent. Mag., Vol. 43, January 1773, p. 45 and Vol. 43, February 1773, p. 102; Sheppard II:58; Sinclair:102

* Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 323, Gent. Mag., Vol. 43, February 1773, p. 102, and Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102 state that Prince Augustus’ christening took place at St James’s Palace, but Complete Peerage, Vol. XII/1, p. 535 states that it occurred at the Queen's Palace (now Buckingham Palace). Complete Peerage, Vol. VII, p. 179 states almost the same thing for Prince Augustus' elder brother Edward -- that he was christened at Buckingham Palace, and that the event was recorded in the baptismal registers of the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. Since most reference works state that all of King George III's children were christened in the Great Council Chamber at St James’s Palace (with the possible exception of the King's youngest son Prince Alfred), it is reasonable to think that Prince Augustus and Prince Edward were christened at St James's Palace like their siblings.

Princess Sophia of Great Britain
June 1773

Parents: Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester and Maria Walpole
Born: 29 May 1773 at Gloucester House*; Died: 29 November 1844 at the Ranger’s House, Blackheath, Greenwich
Christened: privately 26 June 1773 at Gloucester House by Charles Moss, Bishop of St David’s (and rector of St George's, Hanover Square)†
Names: Sophia Matilda
Godparents:
• Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland (her uncle)
• the Duchess of Cumberland (his wife, the former Lady Anne Luttrell)
• Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark (her paternal aunt, who was represented by proxy)‡
Sources: BBR:318; Gent. Mag., Vol. 43, June 1773, p. 297 and p. 301; Greig:204

* Princess Sophia was born at her father’s residence, which was located in the parish of St George, Hanover Square.

† She was christened 26 June 1773, according to Gent. Mag., Vol. 43, June 1773, p. 301. (Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 318 says 27 June 1773.) The baptism was a private, quiet affair and only a few members of the Royal Family were present. (Greig, Diaries, p. 204) Princess Sophia's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, had incurred her uncle King George III's displeasure because he disapproved of their marriage. Consequently, no "proper officers" were dispatched to witness the Princess' birth, and when London aldermen proposed a "humble address of congratulations" be sent to the King, the motion was opposed because it was seen as "an affront to the King, his Majesty having never owned the Lady for his sister". (Gent. Mag., Vol. 43, June 1773, p. 297)

‡ King George III was asked to be a godfather, but he was upset by his brother having married a commoner and refused. (Williamson, Brewer’s British Royalty, p. 318)

Prince Adolphus of Great Britain, Duke of Cambridge
March 1774

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 24 February 1774 at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 8 July 1850 at his residence Cambridge House, Piccadilly, Middlesex
Christened: 24 March 1774 in the Great Council Chamber at St James’s Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury
Names: Adolphus Frederick
Godparents:
• Duke Johann Adolf of Saxe-Gotha (his great-uncle, Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• Landgrave Karl of Hesse-Cassel (his cousin, for whom George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (Extra Lord of the Bedchamber) stood proxy)
• the Princess of Orange (née Princess Friederike Wilhelmine of Prussia, wife of (Reigning Prince) Willem V, his cousin, for whom the Dowager Countess of Effingham stood proxy)*
Sources: BBR:56; Sheppard II:58; Sinclair:102

* The Dowager Countess of Effingham (née Elizabeth Beckford) was the widow of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte from 1761-1769. (For more information regarding Elizabeth Beckford, see "Princess Mary of Great Britain May 1776" further below.)

Princess Caroline of Great Britain
July 1774

Parents: Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester and Maria Walpole
Born: 24 June 1774 at Gloucester House; Died: 14 March 1775 at Gloucester House*
Christened: [information incomplete] privately 22 July 1774
Names: Caroline Augusta Maria
Godparents:
• the Hereditary Prince (later the Duke) of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Karl, her uncle)
• the Hereditary Princess (later the Duchess) of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (his wife Augusta, her paternal aunt)
• the Duchess of Gloucester (her mother)
Sources: BBR:63-64; Gent. Mag., Vol. 44, July 1774, p. 331

* Princess Caroline was born and died at her father’s residence, which was located in the parish of St George’s, Hanover Square.

Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester
February 1776

Parents: Prince William of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester and Maria Walpole
Born: 15 January 1776 at the Teodoli Palace in Rome; Died: 30 November 1834 at Bagshot Park, Surrey
Christened: 12 February 1776 at the Teodoli Palace by the Reverend Mr. Salter*
Names: William Frederick
Godparents:
• Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (his father’s cousin)
• the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha (his wife née Duchess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen)
• Karl Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (his father’s second cousin)
Sources: CP V:745; Gent. Mag., Vol. 46, February 1776, p. 92 and Vol. 46, March 1776, p. 138

* Prince William was christened “in the presence of the English gentlemen who were at Rome.” (Gent. Mag., Vol. 46, March 1776, p. 138)

Princess Mary of Great Britain
May 1776

Parents: King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Born: 25 April 1776 at the Queen’s Palace (now Buckingham Palace); Died: 30 April 1857 at her residence Gloucester House, Piccadilly, Middlesex
Christened: 19 May 1776* in the Great Council Chamber at St James’s Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury†
Names: Mary
Godparents:
• Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel (presumably Landgrave Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel, her father’s cousin, for whom Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain of the Household) stood proxy)
• the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha (née Duchess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen, wife of Ernst II, her father’s cousin, for whom the Duchess of Argyll was proxy)‡
• Princess Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (née Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, wife of the future Karl, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, her father’s cousin, for whom the Dowager Countess of Effingham was proxy)
Sources: BBR:259; CP V:746; Gent. Mag., Vol. 46, April 1776, p. 191 and Vol. 46, May 1776, p. 238; Sheppard II:58; Sinclair:102

* Princess Mary was baptized on her mother’s birthday, according to Gent. Mag., Vol. 46, May 1776, p. 238, which reported the following: “Being the birth-day [19 May 1776] of her Majesty […] his Majesty received the compliments of the nobility, etc. on that occasion. The same evening the young Princess [his infant daughter] was christened by the name of Mary.” Complete Peerage, Vol. V, p. 746 states incorrectly that the christening took place 10 May 1776, while Sinclair, The Chapels Royal, p. 102 makes a typographical error by saying 25 April 1771.

† The christening was recorded in t