George's godparents

A full list of George's godparents was released on October 23rd 2013 just hours ahead of his christening and put an end to months of speculation.  Just a week before, reports in The Sunday Times indicated that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would break with royal tradition and name close friends as godparents of their son, Prince George.  Names in the frame include Hugh van Cutsem and Fergus Boyd who have both known William for many years as well as Emilia d'Erlanger, a friend of Kate's.  The reports in The Sunday Times indicate that the Cambridges will stick to one tradition and give their son six godparents - the same number as William had in 1982.  So there's still room for a royal or two in there.  But if they decide to go completely non royal then George will claim a new title.  The only future monarch in Europe with no royal godparents.

 

George of Cambridge with his parents who may have selected a set of non royal godparents for the future king

 

The most modest set of godparents, at the moment, belong to Elisabeth of Belgium who was sponsored by her cousin, Prince Amadeo d'Este, and her aunt, Helene d'Udekem d'Acoz.  The most regal is a close run thing between several of the Scandinavian monarchs in waiting.  Prince Christian of Denmark has Crown Prince Haakon Magnus and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Prince Joachim of Denmark as well as friends of Frederik and Mary, Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell, and the princess' sister, Jane Stephens.

 

 

 

Prince Christian of Denmark has a future king, a future queen regnant and a future queen consort among his godparents

 

The future queen regnant of Norway, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, had an equally regal line up around the font for her christening.  Leading the list is her grandfather, King Harald, followed by three future monarchs - Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Prince Felipe of Asturias and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.  Her other godparents are her aunt, Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her maternal grandmother, Marit Tjessum.  Sweden's future queen, Estelle, had four royal godparents.  Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands became his country's king less than a year after her baptism and was joined on the list by Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden.  Her other godmother is her father's sister, Anna Westling Soderstrom.

 

 

Princess Estelle of Sweden with her godparents and parents on her christening day

 

In Spain, the Infanta Leonor had just two godparents but they were about as royal as they could be with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia doing the honours.

 

 

A future queen with her godparents, a current king and queen.  Leonor of Spain is baptized in January 2006

 

But it's perhaps Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands who can provide the closest template for the set of godparents that William and Kate are preparing to announce.  She, too, has six sponsors and several of them are relatively unknown friends of her parents.  Samantha Deane and Marc ter Haar were joined at the font by her maternal uncle, Martin Zorreguieta, as well as the then vice-president of the Council of State of the Netherlands, Herman Tjeenk Willink.  And perhaps another common bond with George is the presence of a royal uncle - Harry still hasn't been ruled out as godfather - as Prince Constantijn was sponsor to Catharina-Amalia.  Her set was completed by that go to godmother for European royals, Crown Princess Victoria.  If Wills and Kate are struggling to finish their list, then they might do worse than give her a call.

 

 

Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands with her parents on the day of her christening