LONDON — Dressed in a lace gown designed in the 1840s and doused with water from the River Jordan, 3-month-old Prince George, third in line to the British throne, was christened Wednesday in London.
The family gathering of four generations included the presence of Britain’s 87-year-old monarch and three of its future kings.
Queen Elizabeth II, usually the center of attention, ceded the spotlight to her great-grandson George. The private affair at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace also included Prince Charles, next in line for the throne, and the queen’s 92-year-old husband, Prince Philip.
George, born July 22, wore a replica of a lace-and-satin christening gown made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter and first used in 1841. When his father, William, was christened in 1982, he wore the original gown, but that became so fragile that a replica was made.
