TRH The Duke and Duchess of CambridgeThe day is finally here!
Prince George's christening will take place today, Oct. 23, at the Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace in London, where Prince William and Kate Middleton's firstborn will be baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most. Reverend Justin Welby.
While the palace has been busy preparing, we've been across the pond eagerly counting down the days leading up to the momentous occasion, which marks the wee royal's formal entrance into the Church of England.
So what's in store for the HRH Prince of Cambridge on this special day?
Here's everything we know about Prince George's christening:
The Time: The ceremony, which will be "private and intimate" and is expected to last approximately 45 minutes, will take place at 3 p.m. at the Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace in London, England.
The Clothes: Will and Kate's son will not wear the historic royal christening gown—as worn by 60 royal babies, including Prince William and Prince Charles, for the last 168 years—but will instead wear a replica. The one-of-a-kind Honiton lace and white satin gown, which was created in 1841 by Janet Sutherland, was reportedly last worn by Lady Louise Windsor in 2004 and has since become too fragile to be used again. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned an exact copy in order to preserve the original robe. The replica was created by the queen's couturier, Angela Kelly.
The Guests: While it has been confirmed that Princess Anne and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will not be present, Prince George's aunt and uncle, Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry, will undoubtedly be in attendance. Both sets of George's grandparents are also expected to attend the "low profile and personal" family affair.
The Godparents: Prince George's godparents will also be revealed at the christening, and, according to British reports, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are breaking from the tradition of choosing royal family members and instead asking close friends. Three of George's six godparents are expected to be Fergus Boyd, who went to Eton with William; Kate's Marlborough College friend Emilia d'Erlanger; and Hugh van Cutsem, one of William's oldest pals. Other contenders said to be in the running to fill the remaining slots include William's best friend Thomas van Straubenzee, Kate's friend Alicia Fox-Pitt as well as William and Prince Harry's former nanny, Tiggy Pettifer.
The Photographer: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen Jason Bell as the official photographer for their son's christening, Kensington Palace announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Bell—who has received numerous awards for his photography, including the Best British Black and White Photographer at the British Picture Editor's Award—will take the official photographs at Clarence House following the service in the Chapel Royal. "I'm honored that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have asked me to photograph the christening of their son Prince George," Bell said in a statement. "I'm privileged to be recording this moment in history." A selection of official photographs is expected to be released tomorrow.
The Will and Kate Way: "William and Kate are going to do things differently, and actually, their families are respectful of that," a royal source told E! News of Prince George's christening. "This won't be a case of a big rift. Christenings are not state occasions. They're private affairs and can be as big or intimate as the parents desire."