When Prince Goerge was christened in 2013, the Prince and Princess of Wales broke from royal protocol in a big way when deciding who would be the future king’s godparents
23:23 ET, 23 Oct 2025Updated 23:24 ET, 23 Oct 2025
Kate Middleton and Prince William broke royal tradition with Prince George(Image: Getty Images)
When Prince William and Princess Kate welcomed their first child, Prince George, in 2013, the world was thrilled to greet the future king.
Just three months after his birth, Prince George was christened in the Chapel Royal at St James’ Palace, marking the first time in nearly 120 years that four generations of the Royal family’s line of succession were photographed together.
According to Royal author Valentine Low, the young prince was on his best behavior at his christening, dressed in a handmade replica of the christening robe worn by Queen Victoria’s daughter. In line with Royal tradition, Prince George was christened using the historic Lily Font, which is over 175 years old, and water from the River Jordan. However, William and Kate deviated from one major protocol when choosing George’s godparents.
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As Mr. Lowe explained in his book Courtiers, “It was, in many respects, a very traditional royal christening.”
Prince George was christened at three months old(Image: PA)
Nevertheless, the decision to have only one member of the Royal family among the young prince’s seven godparents “represented something of a break with tradition.”
Historically, Royal offspring were graced with strictly Royal godparents, often blood relatives. However, Prince George marked a departure from this tradition, ushering in a new era for the Firm.
Only one member of the Royal family was chosen as a godparent to George: William’s cousin Zara Tindall, who lacks a Royal title.
Born just 13 months apart, William and Zara have always shared a unique bond, making her an obvious choice for George’s godmother.
In a Channel 5 documentary titled ‘Zara and Anne: Like Mother Like Daughter,’ Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter noted, “For William in particular, trust is everything so when you’ve got a cousin that understands what it is to be a member of the royal family, but they don’t have the same pressures associated with it, they can be a tower of strength and support.”
Prince George is the next heir to the British throne(Image: AP)
Breaking away from decades of Royal tradition, Zara was the only member of the Firm present when Kate and William carefully chose their young son’s godparents.
Instead, she was accompanied by six of Kate and William’s closest friends and family members, including Oliver Baker, Hugh Grosvenor – the Duke of Westminster, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Julia Samuels, and William van Custem.
When Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, William and Kate continued the tradition of selecting close friends and family members without Royal titles as godparents. Her godparents include William’s childhood friend Thomas van Straubenzee, former Eton classmate James Meade, cousin Lady Jane Fellowes, along with Kate’s cousin Adam Middleton, and childhood friend Sophie Carter.
For Prince Louis, his godparents are William’s pals Nicholas van Cutsem, Guy Pelly and Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, cousin Lady Laura Meade, and Kate’s friend Hannah Carter and cousin Lucy Middleton.