PRINCE CHARLES CHRISTENED AT PALACE SERVICE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22821, 16 December 1948, Page 5

PRINCE CHARLES CHRISTENED AT PALACE SERVICE

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Cot>y right.)

(I 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 15. About 50 guests were at the ceremony when Prince Charles of Edinburgh v/as christened in the big music room of the fifth floor of Buckingham Palace today by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher.

Six of the eight sponsors attended —the King, Queen -Mary. I’rineess Margaret, Hie Dowager Marchioness of Mil Ford-llaven. I.ady Drabourue and the Hon. David Rowes-1 .von.

The King of Norway and Price George of Greece, the baby's greatgreat uncles were not present, but were represented by the Earl of Athlone and the Duke of Edinburgh respectively.

Among the guests were Princess Elizabeth’s former governess, Mrs. George Buthlav and her husband and the medical attendants who looked after the Princess, Sir William Gilliatt, Sir .lohn Weir, Mr. John Peel and Dr. Vernon Hall. The baby's nurse, Sister Helen Rowe, was also present. Headed by His Majesty in morning clothes and the Queen in a dress and hat of flame red, members of the Royal Family entered the music room immediately before the service began. Princess Elizabeth looked extremely well in a coat of almost the same shade of red as the Queens. Princess Elizabeth wore an off-the-face hat of brown, trimmed with flame coloured silk. King in Good Spirits King George walked in without showing any signs of leg trouble or obvious signs of ill-health. He seemed in particularly good spirits. Sister Rowe brought in the baby, who behaved beautifully throughout the half-hour ceremony. Sister Rowe handed the baby to Princess Margaret, who stood by the golden font in its plinth of crimson velvet, adorned with white flowers,

The Princess announced the baby’s names in response to the Archbishop's question. She handed her nephew to him, and the Archbishop baptised him Prince Charles.

In a short address the Archbishop stressed the religious importance of the service and spoke of the duties undertaken by sponsors in their vows. After Sister Rowe carried the baby out, the Royal Family and theii friends took tea and ate slices oJ christening cake in the nearby Stats room.

After the christening Prince Charles had his first official press photograph taken and made his first appearance before cine cameras for newsreels. Though, by his parents’ wish, the Prince will be known as Prince Charles it does not follow that if he accedes to the Throne we will become King Charles 111.

The present King was known in his younger days as Prince Albert and still used this name as his signature when he was Duke of York.

Although the Registrar of Births at Caxton Hall, Westminster. Mr. John Stanley Clare, took special fadeless ink in the pen when he went to Buckingham Palace for the registration of the birth of Prince Charles, the Duke of Edinburgh did not use it but used his own pen try mistake. Mr. Clare and the Duke stood talking for some minutes before the signing after which the Duke absent-mindedly used his own pen. White flowers softened the formal splendour of the christening room. For this first important ceremony In his life, Prince Charles wore the historic christening robe of Honiton lace made for Queen Victoria and lent for the occasion by Queen Mary. The same robe was worn by the King and all his brothers and Princess Royal at their christenings and also by Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and the children of the Duke of Gloucester and later the Duke of Kent. Duke Registers Birth

The Duke of Edinburgh this morning registered the birth of his son, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George. Two officials of the Ministry of Food went to the Palace and handed the Duke and Princess Elizabeth the child's green ration book. As Mr. Clare set out from Caxton Hall for the Palace, groups of women, including shopgirls from a nearby store, called to him to “give our love to Charlie.”

It was reported today that Princess Elizabeth and the Duke had chosen Charles as their son’s first Christian name and the name by which he will be known in the Royal Family more because “they just like the name” than for any other reason. The last King of England to be called Charles was Charles 11. Charles is also the family name of King Haakon of Norway, the baby’s great-great uncle, who is one of the eight sponsors. He was known as Prince Charles of Denmark until he accepted the Throne of Norway. The baby’s third name, Arthur, is the third of His Majesty's four names. It is understood that Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh chose the name of Charles for personal and private reasons.

All eight sponsors are related to the Royal baby. Prince George of Greece is his great-great uncle on his father's side, and the Dowager Marchioness of Milford-Haven is his paternal greatgrandmother. Lady Brabournc, elder daughter of the Earl and Countess Mountbatten, in his first cousin once removed, and the Hon. David Bowes, Lyon, the Queen's brother, is his maternal great-uncle. In giving the baby four names the Princess and Duke followed recent custom in the Royal Family. Charles is also the third name of Prince Michael of Kent, whose full names are Michael George Charles Franklin, the last after his godfather, the late Franklin D. Roosevelt, The King of Norway and Prince George of Greece will not be present at the christening tomorrow. Others will stand sponsor for them. Princess Andrew of Greece, the Duke of Edinburgh's mother, will also be unable to attend as she is in Greece.

The Christening cake for the baby was taken to Buckingham Palace tonight.

QUEEN’S INFLUENCE IN CHOICE OF NAME

(10 a.m.) LONDON. Dec. 15. Influence in choosing the name of Charles for Princess Elizabeth's baby was traced last night to the Queen's background, says the Daily Express. Her ancestor, the fifth Earl of Strathmore, fought for the Stuarts. Bonnie Prince Charlie is supposed to have stayed at the Strathmore’s home, Glamis Castle.

The Queen's father, the fourteenth Earl, was associated with the White Rose Society which is devoted to Stuart's memory.

Tiie Times points out that if Prince Charles eventually succeeds to the Throne he will then declare by what name he desires to he officially known as did the present King, formerly Albert, Duke of York.