Kate Middleton will use this lavish £11,000 item in Prince Louis’ christening… and it has a very special meaning
PRINCE Louis’ christening is just around the corner – and is set to be a lavish affair thanks to one expensive item that will be used in the ceremony.
He will be christened using the spectacular Lily Font, which is used for all of the Royal Family newborns.
The pricey item is said to be worth a staggering £11,000, and transporting it to different churches without it getting damaged is a huge operation.
The Lily Font weighs 21lbs and is gilded in silver and decorated with lilies, ivy and cherubs.
It is estimated that if the religious item were to go on sale, it could even rack up millions in an auction.
Kate Middleton and Prince William's third child will be christened on Monday July 9 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, at The Chapel Royal, St James's Palace in London.
The royals typically used baptism water flown from the River Jordan in the Middle East for the occasion - thanks to its association with Jesus.
Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist using water from this very river.
This location is also where his brother George was christened back in 2013, with Princess Charlotte being christened at the church of St Mary Magdalene, near the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk in 2015.
The Lily Font was designed in 1840 by Prince Albert, when he and Victoria refused to use the font available at the time because it was commissioned by Prince Charles II.
His marriage to Catherine of Braganza was childless, but he had numerous illegitimate children with various mistresses.
The original cost to create the christening item was £189, nine shillings and four pence – the equivalent of 35 cows or two and half years of work by a skilled craftsmen at the time.
All the children and grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II have been baptised in the Lily Font, except for Princess Eugenie, whose ceremony in 1990 was the first public baptism for a member of the British royal family.
Prince Louis’ christening is predicted to be a low-key affair.
Both George and Charlotte had small, intimate christenings - with 22 and 30 guests respectively.
When will Prince Louis' christening be?
Traditionally, a royal baby is christened two to three months after their birth - and this is also the case for Prince Louis.
It has been announced he will be christened on Monday July 9 - and we're unlikely to see him again before then, according to royal experts.
He will be christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.
The venue is The Chapel Royal, St James's Palace in London, which is where his brother George was christened back in 2013.
Obviously their parents and the Queen will be there, as well as grandad Prince Charles, great-grandad Prince Philip and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
On the Middleton side, we'd expect to see Kate's sister Pippa Matthews, brother James and parents Carole and Michael.
The new godparents and their spouses will also be there, although these lucky ladies and gents haven't been picked yet.
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Likely suspects include club mogul Guy Pelly, who's one of Wills' closest mates, and Fergus Boyd, an old Etonian who was Kate's university flatmate.
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Prince Louis will wear the same gown that Prince George and Princess Charlotte wore when he is christened.