Princess Charlotte’s christening will be held on July 5 at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, and The Daily Mail reports Queen Elizabeth has invited the Middleton family to her private residence for tea after the service.
The guest list for the reception is said to be very small, with only a few royals (including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall) invited. The Duchess of Cambridge’s parents, Carole and James, are on the list, as well as her siblings Pippa and James.
Meanwhile, Princess Charlotte’s uncle Prince Harry will unfortunately miss out on the celebrations as he is due to begin his conservation work in Africa soon.
The Princess will be christened by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, and People reports the little royal could be donning the same lace gown that her brother Prince George wore at his own christening in 2013.
On the day of the christening, the royal party will walk from the Queen’s house on the royal Sandringham estate to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church. While the christening itself will remain private, the royal family have taken the unusual step this year of allowing the public to gather in the paddock outside the church.
According to The Daily Mail, Mario Testino has been tapped to take the official photos at the christening. Mr Testino has long been a favourite of the British royal family and took many iconic pictures of Princess Diana, as well as Wiliam and Kate’s engagement portrait.