Picture perfect. One day after celebrating Prince George‘s christening at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London, Kate Middleton and Prince William have released four official portraits from the happy occasion. The images, taken by celeb photographer Jason Bell, were snapped immediately following the Oct. 23 baptism in the Morning Room at Clarence House, Kensington Palace said in a press release.
One photo shows just the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their firstborn son, who turned 3 months old on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Middleton, 31, looks radiant in an ivory dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, who also designed her famed wedding dress, worn back in April 2011. On her head is an ivory fascinator, and in her arms is the royal baby, resplendent in his Honiton lace and Spitalfields satin christening robe. Not surprisingly, he looks adorable — and he’s even waving his arms for the camera!
(As previously reported, the robe is a replica of the one originally made for Queen Victoria‘s eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal, in 1841. Queen Elizabeth II had the second gown made in 2008 in order to “preserve the original.”)
Another portrait from the big day shows Queen Elizabeth II and the three future monarchs of England, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George. This shot is truly a historic one: The last time four generations of monarchs were featured in the same picture was in 1894, when Queen Victoria was photographed with her son (King Edward VII), grandson (King George V), and great-grandson (King Edward VIII).
A third portrait shows the Duke and Duchess with Prince George and other members of the royal family. Standing behind the proud parents and the Queen are the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; her son Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and Prince William’s younger brother (and George’s uncle), Prince Harry.
All eight royals can also be seen in a photo with the Duchess’ family, parents Carole and Michael Middleton, sister Pippa Middleton, and brother James Middleton. Pippa, 30, chose a “warm blush oyster” lace shift dress and cream coat by Suzannah Crabb for the occasion, along with a beaded fascinator by British milliner Edwina Ibbotson.
According to Kensington Palace, the room where the photos were taken was originally the Breakfast Room in architect John Nash’s design for the Duke of Clarence. It features a suite of gilt-wood furniture by Thomas Chippendale from 1773, thought to have been commissioned by George III’s brother.
Other standouts among the decor are two bronze busts — one of a young Queen Elizabeth II, and one of her sister, Princess Margaret. Both women are also depicted in an oil painting by Frederic Whiting from 1945, titled “Their Royal Highnesses The Princess Elizabeth and The Princess Margaret in Windsor Great Park.”
More recent pictures are displayed, as well. One photograph — visible in the portraits from Prince George’s christening — shows Prince Charles and his son Prince Harry in a Zulu Village in South Africa in 1997, the year Harry and William’s mother, Princess Diana, died at age 36 in a car crash in Paris. Prince Harry can also been seen in a snapshot displayed on a side table.
As previously reported, Prince George was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, in an intimate ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Afterward, the Duke and Duchess joined their 22 guests for a small reception at Clarence House. “It has been a tremendously joyful occasion for everyone involved,” a palace spokesman told Us Weekly.