Prince George, the firstborn son of Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was christened in London on Wednesday. The baby boy, who will eventually be named the head of the Church of England when he is crowned, was christened during a private ceremony at the Chapel Royal in London’s St. James Palace. PRINCE George made his first public appearance in three months Wednesday, as he arrived with his parents, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, for his christening at St. James’s Palace. ????The baby prince smiled as he was shown off to family members including his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, before the royals entered the Chapel Royal. ????Dressed in a lace and satin gown designed in the 1840s, the 3-month-old future monarch was christened with water from the River Jordan by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at a rare gathering of four generations of the royal family. ????Queen Elizabeth II, usually the center of attention, quietly ceded the spotlight to her rosy-cheeked great-grandson, who seemed to wave at her when he arrived — an illusion created by his father, Prince William, playfully moving the infant’s arm. ????The private affair at the Chapel Royal was also attended by Prince Charles, next in line to the throne, and the queen’s 92-year-old husband, Prince Philip, who has shown remarkable stamina since returning to the public eye after a two-month convalescence following serious abdominal surgery. ????All told, it was an exceptional day for a monarchy that seems to be basking in public affection since the 2011 wedding of William and Kate Middleton and the maturing of Prince Harry, who appears to have put his playboy days behind him. ????Being baptized into the church is more significant for George than for most people, since he is in line to become king, which would also make him the supreme governor of the Church of England. ????The occasion was kept uncharacteristically small, in a shift away from the larger ceremonies that his father and grandfather enjoyed at Buckingham Palace. ????His grandfather Prince Charles and uncle, Prince Harry, were among the select few invited to the ceremony, along with Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her siblings, James and Pippa. ????As trumpets blared, William, 31, wearing his customary dark suit, arrived carrying his son, who gave his first royal wave to the crowd. ????Kate, also 31, smiling broadly on her way into the chapel, wore a cream-colored Alexander McQueen dress and hat by milliner Jane Taylor, with her long hair brushed to the side. ????The tiny prince, who was born July 22 and whose full name is George Alexander Louis, was dressed up in a hand-sewn replica of a christening gown first worn by the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria in 1841. ????When William was christened in 1982, he wore the original gown — by then well over a century old — but the garment has become so fragile that a replica was made. ????The venue for the christening also has a special significance for Prince William. The body of his mother, Diana, rested in the Chapel Royal for five days before her funeral in 1997. ????The royal baby has seven godparents, among them Prince William’s cousin Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, and close friends of the couple. ????They include Oliver Baker, who got to know William and Catherine at St. Andrew’s University, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, who went to school with Catherine, and William van Cutsem, a childhood friend of William. ????The other godparents are Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry; Julia Samuel, who was a good friend of William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales; and Earl Grosvenor, son of the Duke of Westminster. ????The christening ceremony included two hymns, two lessons and two anthems, according to Kensington Palace. ????The music started with a processional, Bach’s “Fantasia in G,” played on organ. ????The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, made up of six men and 10 boys, sang the anthem “Blessed Jesu! Here we Stand,” which was written for the baptism of baby George’s father, Prince William, in 1982. ????Palace officials said water from the River Jordan — where Christians believe Jesus Christ was baptized — was used for the christening. ????In the West Bank, hours before the ceremony in London, busloads of Russian tourists descended on Qasr el-Yahud to immerse themselves in the river. The site, 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Jericho, is considered Christianity’s third-holiest site, after Bethlehem and Jerusalem. ????The river’s waters have often been used to make the sign of the cross on the heads of royal infants. ????Some royal watchers camped outside the palace for more than 24 hours to obtain a good vantage point to watch the guests arrive, but the ceremony was private. ????Afterward, Charles and his wife, Camilla, hosted a tea for the royal party at their Clarence House residence, where desserts included a “christening cake” with a tier taken from William and Kate’s wedding cake. ????The couple had photographer Jason Bell to take official pictures, which are expected to include a historic multigenerational photograph of the queen with the three future kings — an image that will echo an 1894 picture of Queen Victoria with three future monarchs. ????In a short video posted on his website, Welby spoke of the significance of the baby prince’s baptism, which will see him “join the family of the church,” numbering almost 2 billion people around the world. ????Welby said any christening was a moment for the parents to celebrate the birth of their child, royal or not. ????“All babies are unbelievably special, not only royal babies,” he said. ????But Prince George’s christening does carry an extra significance, he said. ????“As a nation we are celebrating the birth of someone who in due course will be the head of state. That’s extraordinary. It gives you this sense of forward looking, of the forwardness of history as well as the backwardness of history, and what a gift to have this new life and to look forward.” ????As with any other infant’s baptism, Welby marked the prince with the sign of the cross on his forehead and splash water on his head. ????The silver font used for George’s baptism has been used for every royal christening since 1841. ????The 3-month-old boy has already made history. He’s the first royal baby to be honored with a christening coin from the Royal Mint. ????The design of the coins has been approved by his parents and the Queen, the Royal Mint said.(SD-Agencies) | 