Can you believe Prince George, the son of Princess Catherine and Prince William, is already 12 years old? He was born on July 22, 2013. As seemingly improbable as that is, even more interesting is that he was christened three months later on October 23—and it turns out his parents broke a major royal tradition in the process.
Kate Middleton Broke a Major Royal Tradition—& It Involves Prince George
Rebel, rebel
Published Dec 28, 2025
•2:00pm
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The future king was surrounded by relatives and adoring fans when he was christened at St. James’ Palace. He donned an exact replica of the christening robe Queen Victoria’s daughter wore, and water from the Jordan River was used in the ceremony, according to The Mirror. It was naturally a big deal, but it was also genuinely historic, given that four generations of the royal family were photographed together for the first time in more than a century.
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Naturally, his parents kept in line with many of the expected protocol for the occasion—save for choosing George’s godparents. Instead of strictly picking royals and relatives (that’s historically the norm), William and Kate selected six of their closest friends and family members, along with a sole royal, for the title.
The godparents include Oliver Baker; 7th Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor; Emilia Jardine-Paterson; Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton; Julia Samuel (who was a friend of Princess Diana’s); William van Cutsem, and one royal, Zara Tindall. Tindall is William’s cousin and Princess Anne’s daughter.
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In case you’re wondering, they did the same at Princess Charlotte’s christening in 2015 and Prince Louis’s in 2018. The selected godparents include family members, former schoolmates and childhood friends of Prince William and Princess Catherine.
Despite their making it seem routine, it’s quite a departure from their predecessors. “It was, in many respects, a very traditional royal christening,” author Valentine Low wrote in his book, Courtiers, on George’s christening. But their choice of godparents “represented something of a break with tradition.”
Who knew they were such rebels?
