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Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to miss Prince Louis christening at St James Palace

Decision is not thought to be health related

Tom Barnes
Monday 09 July 2018 11:12 BST
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Prince Louis christening what you need to know

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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will not attend the christening of their great-grandson Prince Louis, Buckingham Palace has said.

Their decision to miss the ceremony at St James’s Palace is not thought to have been made on health grounds.

The palace said the Queen and Prince Philip had come to a mutual agreement with Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “some time ago” that they would not be present.

The monarch, 92, has a busy week ahead, with high-profile celebrations in central London marking the centenary of the RAF and a visit by US President Donald Trump in Windsor on Friday.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, has retired from public duties and has been enjoying his free time away from London.

Louis, the 11-week-old third child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the ceremony in central London.

Kensington Palace has announced the prince will have six godparents, Nicholas van Cutsem, Guy Pelly, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, Laura Meade, Robert Carter and Lucy Middleton.

The christening will be a small affair for immediate family, the godparents and their spouses.

Grandfather Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be present, along with Louis' maternal grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also be guests, as will Kate's brother James Middleton. Kate's pregnant sister Pippa with husband James Matthews - the brother of former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews.

The Queen also missed a service at St Paul's Cathedral on 28 June because she was feeling “under the weather”.

But she was in Edinburgh last week carrying out engagements for the annual Holyrood week.

She had surgery on her eye in May to remove a cataract.

Philip meanwhile, had a successful hip replacement operation in April, but was well enough to attend Harry and Meghan's wedding in May.

The monarch and Philip attended the christening of Louis' older siblings George at the Chapel Royal in 2013 and Charlotte in the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Norfolk in 2015.

She also went to the christenings of her other great-grandchildren Savannah Phillips and Mia Tindall, but neither she nor the duke are thought to have gone to Isla Phillips's in 2012.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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