Diana pal, Olympic star among Prince George's godparents
3 hours ago
Video: The newborn heir to the British crown has been assigned seven godparents by his mom and dad Duchess Kate and Prince William, one of whom is Zara Tindall, the second-eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. NBC’s Keir Simmons reports.
Prince William and his wife Kate asked seven people to be godparents for their son ahead of a low-key christening ceremony on Wednesday.
Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, Zara Tindall and William van Cutsem will serve as godparents for Prince George, palace officials announced.
The most high-profile name on the list is Tindall, who is Princess Anne's daughter and William's cousin. Previously known as Zara Phillips, she is won a silver medal in the equestrian team event at the London 2012 Olympics. She is also the wife of former England rugby captain Mike Tindall.
Rex Features via AP, file
Prince William, Kate and Zara Tindall attend a service to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 4.
Baker attended Scotland's University of St Andrews with the couple. Jardine-Paterson was a friend of Kate's at Marlborough College
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Lowther-Pinkerton served until last year as private secretary to the couple and William's brother Harry.
Samuel was a friend of William's mother Diana. Van Cutsem has been close to William since his childhood.
Prince George's christening ceremony will be held later on Wednesday at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace.
The Chapel Royal has special significance for William -- it was where the coffin of his mother was laid to rest before her funeral in 1997.
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Kate's parents and sister Pippa and brother James will be among the guests at the service.
, Kate's parents and sister Pippa and brother James will be among the guests at the service.
The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is head of the Church of England.
Getty Images file, AP file
From left: Julia Samuel, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and William van Cutsem have been named among Prince George's godparents.
Prince George will wear a handmade replica of the royal christening robe, made by the queen’s dressmaker Angela Kelly. It is based on the original garment made for the christening of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841.
Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images, file
Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, show off Prince George to the world's media on July 23.
Following the ceremony guests will have tea at ClarenceHouse, including a tier which was saved from Kate and William's wedding cake.
, including a tier which was saved from Kate and William's wedding cake.
Both the relatively small ceremony and the couple’s decision to name friends rather than dignitaries is seen as a break from tradition.
Past royals have often chosen foreign rulers to sponsor their children's baptisms.
baptisms.
William had six godparents at his christening in 1982. These included his cousins Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and King Constantine II of Greece.
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