LONDON — Kensington Palace released the first photo of Prince George and Princess Charlotte on Saturday. The photo was taken by in mid-May. Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will be christened on July 5, Kensington Palace said Friday. The christening will take place at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is head of the Church of England.
Charlotte’s great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has her country retreat in Sandringham, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of London’s Buckingham Palace, and the royal family has a long connection with the country church.
Prince William and Catherine also have a nearby country house, Anmer Hall, which affords them more privacy than their official residence at Kensington Palace in London, which is constantly monitored by photographers.
The baby girl, whose full name is given on her birth certificate as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, was born May 2 in London.
The christening of her brother, Prince George, who is third in line to the throne, was in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in October 2013.
He was dressed for the occasion in an elaborate lace and satin christening gown that’s a replica of one made in 1841 for the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter.
The replica was brought in to use in 2008 to help preserve the 170-year-old original, used until then for every royal christening, including those of Prince William and his father, Charles.