Buckingham Palace was forced to deny that either the queen or Prince Philip were unwell today after they both missed Prince Louis’ christening.
The palace sought to play down the decision by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh not to attend the ceremony, saying it had been made “some time ago” and was not due to health concerns. But the announcement that they would not be coming came as a surprise to U.K. media on Monday.
The palace insisted that the queen has a busy week, with the arrival of President Donald Trump at the end of the week and various other commitments.
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Kensington Palace released a video of Kate Middleton carrying Prince Louis into the Chapel Royal, accompanied by Prince William and their two other children, George and Charlotte.
The 11-week-old baby was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, who officiated at the marriage of Harry and Meghan, who also attended the christening.
Meghan wore an olive green Ralph Lauren outfit and a Stephen Jones hat.
It is the first time the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children have been seen together as a family of five.
Earlier in the day, Kensington Palace announced the identities of Prince Louis’ six godparents, which include Guy Pelly, the nightclub impresario who is a close friend of both Prince William and Prince Harry and has been dubbed the pair’s “court jester,” and Lucy Middleton, Kate’s cousin who is a solicitor.
Kate’s pregnant sister, Pippa Middleton, and her brother, James Middleton, also attended.
Kate wore a white McQueen outfit with a hat by Jane Taylor.
The baby wore a replica of an 1841 royal christening robe, made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal.
The original gown was subsequently worn for all royal christenings, including that of the queen, her children and her grandchildren, until the the queen commissioned Angela Kelly to make a handmade replica of the robe in order to preserve the original.
