Godparents of the Future King

Anyone would be honored to be the godparent of this little dolly, but the fact that he will one day be the King of England makes the job a particularly special honour!Six special friends and one special family member of William and Catherine were among those asked to serve as the godparents of Prince George.  Seven godparents who all have one thing in common: a gift for discretion.

— Oliver Baker, who attended the University of St. Andrews with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

— Emilia Jardine-Paterson, who attended Marlborough College with the Duchess of Cambridge

— Earl “Hugh” Grosvenor, who is the son of one of William’s own godparents, the Duchess of Westminster

— Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry from 2005-2012 and continues to serve part-time as Principal Private Secretary and Equerry

— William van Cutsem, who is a childhood friend of the Duke of Cambridge

— Zara Tindall, who is the Duke of Cambridge’s cousin and an Olympic equestrian

— Julia Samuel, who heads up the Child Bereavement U.K. charity and was a close friend of Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana

The inclusion of Mrs. Samuel, was a poignant acknowledgement of William’s late mother.  She met and became friends with Diana in 1987 when the two were seated next to each other at a dinner and, according to Mrs Samuel, ‘saw something in each other’.   Although the princess fell out with many of her friends, Mrs. Samuel remained loyal.  William is now royal patron of the charity Child Bereavement UK, of which she is founder patron and trustee.  Mrs. Samuel has been quoted as saying ” I am delighted to have been invited to become godmother to His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.  It is both a joyful and an important responsibility which I am incredibly proud to accept.”  It would seem that this is a choice that Diana herself would be very pleased about too.

While there is no set number of godparents that is required or customary for a future monarch, what has been customary is to have members of the royal family among those who are named as godparents, or sponsors as they are sometimes referred to in England.  So in choosing those whom they asked to be their son’s godparents, William and Catherine yet again showed that, while very respectful and mindful of tradition, they are forging their own way and being their own people as modern royals.  Not only did the Cambridges ignore protocol by only inviting five senior royals to attend, they also broke from tradition by not having their son christened at Buckingham Palace.  In an historic ceremony which brought together four generations of the Royal Family, the three-month-old future king was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace on Wednesday.

Though not included among those asked to be godparents, both Prince Harry and Catherine’s sister, Pippa Middleton, were asked to participate in the ceremony by reading scripture.  Prince Harry read from the Gospel of John 15:1-5, ” I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Pippa read from the Gospel of Luke 18:15-17, ” Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’

Some might think the role of being a godparent whether to a commoner, or to the future king, is a position in name and title only.  Not so if one is to take the words of  the Most Rev Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury seriously.  He  told the congregation on Wednesday that George’s parents and godparents had a ‘simple task’ – to ‘make sure he knows who this Jesus is’.

Your Two Chums are  most supportive of this precious little one who will one day be King and hold the title ‘Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England’.  Our prayer is that he may always know much love, great joy and a very abundant life!