Prince George to be baptized in a church

The Archbishop of Canterbury will baptize Prince George, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in a private chapel on October 23.

BBC:

Prince George will be christened on Wednesday 23 October at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace – just over three months after his birth.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, will perform the christening.

The prince, who was born on 22 July at St Mary’s Hospital in London, is third in line to the throne.

In a statement Kensington Palace said: “Their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to announce the christening of Prince George will take place on Wednesday, 23rd October at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.

“Prince George will be christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.”

The BBC’s Ben Geoghegan said “close members of the families” would attend the christening, along with “some other senior guests”.

He said the Chapel Royal, built by Henry VIII, was small and the duke and duchess were believed to want a “small, private ceremony”.

Some press reports characterize this as a break with tradition by not having it in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace where Prince William was baptized, but the Chapel probably holds special memories for William:

In 1997 the coffin of Prince William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, lay before the chapel’s altar before her funeral in Westminster Abbey.

Princess Beatrice was the last royal baby to be christened in the Chapel Royal in December 1988.

Extra credit question: Is it “Christening” or “Baptism?” Discuss.

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