She woke up like this! Princess Charlotte looks angelic in the official portraits from her christening, released on Thursday, July 9. The royal baby, who was christened in a much-celebrated ceremony at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, England, on Sunday, July 5, wore an ivory lace gown in the Mario Testino-shot photos, and was flanked by members of both the royal family and the Middleton clan.
In the main family portrait, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Prince William sit together on a parlor sofa in the drawing room at Sandringham House with Prince George, 2, Princess Charlotte, 2 months, and Prince William’s paternal grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Standing behind them are Michael, Pippa, James, and Carole Middleton, alongside Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Other, less formal photos show the Duke and Duchess carrying George and Charlotte outside in the gardens of Sandringham House. As previously reported, George wore red shorts and a white smocked shirt for the occasion — an outfit almost identical to one his father wore back in 1984. Charlotte was dressed in a replica of the royal family’s centuries-old christening gown, which has been worn by generations of royal babies. (Prince George wore the same replica in 2013.)
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their whole family had a wonderful day on Sunday and were delighted to share the special occasion with the thousands of people who came to Sandringham,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson said in a press release about the portraits. “They are very happy to share these photographs and hope that everyone enjoys them as much as they do.”
Prince George’s own official christening portrait was shot by celeb photographer Jason Bell on Oct. 23, 2013, immediately following the ceremony that same day.
As previously reported, Charlotte’s christening was a private affair for around 30 guests, including her five godparents, Sophie Carter, James Meade, Adam Middleton, the Honorary Laura Fellowes, and Thomas van Straubenzee. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, presided over the event, supported by The Reverend Canon Jonathan Riviere, the Rector of the Sandringham group of parishes.
Nearby, hundreds of well-wishers gathered to cheer on the royal family. “Allowing members of the public to join them outside the church was a way of including the public and also thanking people for their continued support. It was a special day for them and they wanted to share that with as many people as they could,” a source tells Us Weekly. Adds an aide: “The Duke and Duchess were keen to share the day with members of the local community.”
Following the ceremony, the royals retreated to Sandringham House for a tea, where they snacked on slices of christening cake from the Duke and Duchess’ wedding, and posed for the official portraits.
This isn’t the first time that Testino has photographed the royal family. The veteran shutterbug captured the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their now-iconic engagement photos back in 2010, and praised the couple in a later interview.
“You could see they were completely in love,” he told The Telegraph in January 2014. “I waited a long time, an hour or two, to make that picture perfect. But I wasn’t totally satisfied.”
“Then, when I’d finished the shoot, they were about to leave and they suddenly hugged in front of a radiator,” he continued. “I took my camera and that was the picture that ran everywhere — it was spontaneous emotion … you could see they were completely in love.”
Testino, 60, also previously worked with other members of the royal family — among them, Prince Harry and the late Princess Diana.
“It was like a fairy tale,” Testino said in the same interview of photographing William and Harry’s beloved mother. “Who was she really? Why did she do this? She was trying to find love. I wanted the world to see her kindness, her humility: I think she realized that would be her way.”
