In another sweet gesture ahead of Charlotte’s christening on Sunday, Kensington Palace has announced that all flowers given to Duchess Kate or Princess Charlotte on the day of her christening will be donated to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices or EACH, is one of Kate’s patronages and is a cause that she has kept close to her heart, attending multiple of their events.
A spokesperson from EACH has stated that they are “thrilled” to be receiving Princess Charlotte’s flowers and that they will be given to terminally ill children and their families across England.
“The flowers will be delivered to our hospices for our families, volunteers and staff to enjoy,” said their chief executive.
Sweet!
We’ve seen George with mum and dad, and we’ve seen little Charlotte with mum and dad, but, as of yet, we’ve yet to see them all together.
But that’s all set to change on July the 5th.
As Charlotte prepares to be swathed in lace and cream silk for her christening, the royal watchers of the world are gearing up for what will be the very first appearance of the family of four all together.
Kate, Will, George and Charlotte will be in Norfolk next Sunday, at The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, to watch Charlotte be christened.
Joining the happy family will be the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Kate’s family, including Carole, Michael, Pippa and James.
Knocking him out of the race for godfather (we were so hopeful!), Prince Harry is set to swap his uncle duties for princely duties.
The royal redhead, who was just bumped down to fifth in line to the throne by his niece, will be working as a wildlife ranger and will be out of town on Charlotte’s big day.
Oh well. Just ‘Uncle Harry’ it is.
Speaking of godparents, the race for the title is officially on!
For royal babes, the number of godparents usually middles around 8, and Charlotte is looking to be in for the same.
Favourite include Kate’s childhood friend, Alicia Fox-Pitt, William’s cousin, Peter Phillips, aunt Pippa or uncle James.
Even though godparents of Princes and Princesses are usually 100% royal (William’s godparents included King Constantine II of Greece, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Westminster), Kate has set a recent precedent for picking from within her close circle of friends for her blue-blooded bubs.
Despite that, we might get one or two royals in the mix.
We’re rooting for Princess Beatrice or Prince Harry.
Ever since Kate slipped on that sapphire engagement ring, William’s mother Diana has been held close to their marriage on several occasions – and Charlotte’s christening is no different.
As well as being named after her paternal grandmother, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana will be christened in the same church that Diana was in 1961.
Are you in driving distance of Norfolk, and want a little glimpse of royalty? Now could be your chance.
Even though royal christenings are a notoriously private affair, it seems Kate and Wills are breaking tradition once again.
As announced in their press release, the christening will be held in a private church, however, the paddock next to it will be open to “well-wishers and visitors”.
“The Duke and Duchess are hugely grateful for the warm wishes they have received since Princess Charlotte’s birth – many of them from local people in Norfolk,” read the release, “[They] are delighted the paddock can be opened on the day of the christening.”
It’s not certain how much of them you will see, but if you’ve got nothing else to do – why not?
It’s all in the details.
As befitting a family with so much history, the royal family is known for including historical details in their christenings – and Princess Charlotte’s is no exception.
Like her brother, George, Charlotte will likely be christened in a replica of the Victorian gown, a lace gown that had seen 62 royal babes christened before – the original was deemed “too fragile” to be used after its last appearance on Lady Louise Windsor.
It is also likely that Charlotte will be christened in the same font that was made for Queen Victoria’s children, the Lily Font, which will be filled with consecrated water from the River Jordan.
The guests of the wedding will also enjoy the top tier fruit cake from Kate and Will’s wedding in 2011 as a snack.