Princess Charlotte’s godparents named as royals head to Sandringham for christening

Big day ... Princess Charlotte will be christened at the church of St Mary Magdalene. 

KENSINGTON Palace has revealed the names of Princess Charlotte’s five godparents just hours before her christening — and there’s not a royal among them.

To the surprise of royal watchers, Prince and William and the Duchess of Cambridge have chosen old school friends and non-royal cousins to act as godparents to their daughter, who is set to be christened at the historic St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.

No member of the royal family made it onto the list — despite speculation that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie or Zara Tindall would be asked.

Touching tribute ... Princess Charlotte will be christened in church where her late grandmother Princess Diana was baptised in 1961. Source: Supplied

One of the godfathers is Thomas van Straubenzee, one of Prince William’s oldest school friends, who is married to the Duke of Northumberland’s daughter Melissa Percy.

Laura Fellowes, Prince William’s cousin and a niece of Princess Diana, also made the list. Princess Charlotte’s christening is being held in the church where Diana was baptised.

Historic ... an interior shot of the church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate in King's Lynn. Source: Getty Images

James Meade, another friend of William’s from Eton, has also been named as a godparent.

Kate’s side is being represented by her long-time friend Sophie Carter and Adam Middleton, Kate’s first cousin, and the son of Michael Middleton’s brother Richard.

Hundreds of local wellwishers have already begun queuing for a glimpse of the royal family, including toddler big brother Prince George.

It will be the first time the family of four have been seen in public together since the Princess’s birth on May 3.

Doting grandfather Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are all scheduled to attend, as were the Middleton family, Michael, Carole, Pippa and James. Prince Harry was not expected to make an appearance.

Spectacular ... this ornate Lily Font, which was taken from the Tower of London under strict security, will used at Princess Charlotte's christening. Source: Getty Images

The royal uncle, who was at a football match in Australia when Charlotte was born, is in Africa on a three-month conservation mission.

The princess was to be christened by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby using

water flown in from the River Jordan.

Charlotte was to wear the same satin and lace christening gown as brother George wore when he was christened two years ago at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London. The gown is a replica of one made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter in 1841.

Baby love ... Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave hospital with Princess Charlotte. Source: AP

But while George’s christening was strictly a private affair, the Cambridges have once again shown their willingness to do things their own way. They invited people from the local villages to take part in festivities by gathering in a paddock beside St Mary Magdalene Church, as they do when the Queen attends Christmas services there.

The decision to christen the two-month-old princess at St Mary Magdalene, on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, was yet another nod to Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, who was christened in the same church in 1961. The church is close to Anmer Hall, where William and Kate have a ten-bedroom mansion.

Devoted parents ... the christening will be the first time the family of four have been seen together in public since Charlotte’s birth. Source: Getty Images

Mario Testino, the Peruvian photographer most famous for a series of black and white pictures he took of Diana in 1997 just months before she died in a Paris car crash, was chosen to take the official christening portraits.

“I am overwhelmed and honoured to be chosen to document this occasion and to

carry on the documentation of the family that is the soul of this country, a country that has given me so much,” he said.

Following the service about two-dozen members of the Royal and Middleton families, and Charlotte’s new godparents, were invited to an informal reception hosted by the Queen at Sandringham.

Grandparents ... Michael and Carole Middleton, the parents of Catherine, will be attending. Source: AFP

While the royal family normally camps at the 8000 acre Norfolk estate for summer, the Cambridges are set to stay on. Prince William, who was a helicopter pilot in the British Army, starts his first full week as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance on July 13. Their home, Anmer Hall, was a gift to the couple from the Queen and a $3.1 million refurbishment has just been completed. It is understood the family will live there for the next two years while the prince focuses on his flying career and family life.

The couple have been working hard to fit in to the East Anglian community, with Kate becoming royal patron of the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices charity ahead of her 2011 marriage to the second in line to the throne. Flowers from public wellwishers at Charlotte’s christening will be given to the hospices for patients and staff to enjoy.

To celebrate the princess’s big day, the Royal Mint has issued a commemorative £5 coin in silver or gold. Approved by William, Kate and the Queen, it features a baroque-style oval frame and the inscription: “To celebrate the Christening of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge 2015”. The Mint had already issued a coin to mark Charlotte’s birth.