In accordance with Royal Family traditions, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their son, Princess George, took Princess Charlotte to a church in England for her christening ceremony. It is only the second time the newest royal baby has been seen in public.
According to Kashmira Gander of the Independent, the newborn princess was christened at a ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk. Other close family members, including Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales attended the service.
"After a short ceremony lasting just over half an hour, the royal family left the church," Gander wrote.
Gander reported that while the christening of Princess Charlotte is significant for the royal family, their sense of style during that event could eventually filter out on mainstream British fashion thanks to the "Kate effect." According to Gander, the Jenny Packham dress the Duchess of Cambridge wore when Princess Charlotte was presented to the public for the first time sparked a 58 percent spike in the sale of yellow dresses.
"The Duchess wore a simple, white dress by British designer Alexander McQueen, with an elegant feathered hat," Gander wrote.
Max Foster of CNN pointed out that even the fashion stuck to royal family traditions.
"Royal watchers may have recognized Prince George's outfit," Foster wrote. "It was very similar to the one worn by his father, Prince William, when he visited his newborn brother, Prince Harry, on Sept. 16, 1984."
As for the ceremony itself, Foster described the event as "a small, intimate family affair with a sprinkling of tradition and tributes to a much-missed member of the family." However, new traditions were also made by Prince William and Kate Middleton.
"In a break from tradition, they didn't choose members of the royal family as godparents," Foster wrote. "Instead they asked three of their oldest friends and a cousin from both sides."
Foster reported that as a nod to his mother, Princess Diana, the Duke of Cambridge chose Laura Fellowes, a cousin from his mother's side of the family. Other references to his mother's memory included the church itself, where Diana was christened, and having the events captured by official photographer Mario Testino, who was one of Diana's favorites.
According to Foster, other traditions were included in the christening.
"[The Archbishop of Canterbury] used the lily baptismal font, which was quietly brought up from the Tower of London, where it is housed with the crown jewels," Foster wrote. "The water in the font came from even farther away -- the River Jordan."
According to Foster, William tries to strike a balance between informing the public and maintaining his family's privacy. The christening was an open invitation to the public with advanced notice.
"William grew up hounded by the media and is very sensitive to that but also understands his future royal subjects want regular updates on him and his family," Foster wrote.
