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A Princess is Named

A New Kind of Christening
The Daily Mail

The nearly 4-month-old royal baby is to be christened later today as Princess Amelia Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge in a private ceremony for close family and friends in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace.

The royal guests will total only five: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry, Also there will be Duchess Jaclyn's parents, Michelle and Brad Webber, her brother Caleb, her paternal grandparents Janet and Larry Webber, and maternal grandmother Glenda Hutchinson.

The godparents chosen by Prince William and Duchess Jackie for their first-born daughter breaks with royal tradition because they include non-royal friends rather than foreign royals, as with, for example, the baby's grandfather, Prince Charles, and her great-grandmother, the queen.

The godparents are:

• Oliver Baker, who attended the University of St. Andrews with William.

• Natania Bell, who grew up with Jackie and later attended the Royal Ballet School with her. She also helped introduce Will and Jackie.

• Hugh, Earl Grosvenor, the son of the Duke of Westminster.

• Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who serves as private secretary to William, Jackie and Harry, but will be retiring from the full time position in the fall. He will continue to serve part-time as principal private secretary and equerry. His son was also in the royal wedding.

• Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is a close friend to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. She also trained Jaclyn in the ways of royalty.

• Zara Tindall, William's cousin, granddaughter to the queen, daughter of Princess Anne the Princess Royal. She is also responsible for helping Will and Jackie meet.

• William van Cutsem, a childhood friend of Will's, son of Hugh van Cutsem, one of Prince Charles' oldest friends. Will is godfather to van Cutsem's daughter Grace, who was in the wedding.

Meanwhile, it was raining heavily in London today but that didn't stop royal fans, some outfitted in colorful gear, from gathering outside the chapel early, some as early as days before.

"My future king knows I've been here all night," Julie Cain, 50, of New Castle, said. "It gives you a sense of pride."

Sitting in lawn chairs set up across from where the queen will enter the christening, and adorned with Union Jack paraphernalia, these well-wishers have followed royal family events for decades.

"This is a historic moment," said John Loughrey, 58, of London, a self-proclaimed "Diana super fan." "Princess Diana will be giving her special love today."

Decked out in a Union Jack suit, Terry Hutt, 78, spent hours this morning stringing British flags to the barricades across the street from St. James's Palace. Hutt, who spent weeks outside the Lindo Wing awaiting Princess Amelia's birth in January, has followed every royal event since he met the late Queen Mother Elizabeth at age four.

"I'd like to think that I've become a royal family godparent of sorts," Hutt said.

However the new parents have requested that everyone keep their distance as the young princess is still a premature baby and susceptible to illness when surrounded by too many new people. Their communications office released the following statement: