Prince Louis' Godparents May Surprise You

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last updated 30 September 2021

Today, Prince Louis is getting christened (opens in new tab) at St. James' Palace in London by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. In an official announcement via Twitter (opens in new tab), Kensington Palace revealed who the two-month-old's godparents are, and it may surprise you. (No, it doesn't include Meghan Markle (opens in new tab) and Prince Harry, as much as we would all love them to be.)

Here's who made the cut as one of Prince Louis' godparents, all of whom are friends or family of Their Royal Highnesses:

• Mr. Nicholas van Cutsem - A friend of Prince William's
• Mr. Guy Pelly - Another old friend of William's
• Mr. Harry Aubrey-Fletcher - An old friend of Will, Kate, and Harry
• The Lady Laura Meade - The Duchess of Cornwall's distant cousin and a close friend of Will and Kate
• Mrs. Robert Carter - An old friend of Kate's
• Miss Lucy Middleton - Kate's cousin

The Court of the Cambridges. Close friends & Kate's cousin are chosen as Godparents to Prince Louis. Guy Pelly, Lady Laura Meade, Nicholas van Cutsem, Lucy Middleton, Harry Aubrey Fletcher & Hannah Carter are all rewarded for their longtime loyalty & friendship. #PrinceLouis pic.twitter.com/B8DqGkUKXIJuly 9, 2018

For reference, Prince George has seven godparents: Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (former private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry), William van Cutsem (one of Prince William's best friends), Julia Samuel (an old friend of Princess Diana's), Emilia Jardine-Paterson (Kate Middleton's oldest friend and stylist), Zara Tindall (William and Harry's cousin), Earl Grosvenor (the Duke of Westminster), and Oliver Baker (a college friend of William and Kate).

Meanwhile, Princess Charlotte has five godparents: Sophie Carter (a longtime friend of Kate's), Laura Fellowes (Princess Diana's sister's daughter, a.k.a. the first cousin of William and Harry), Adam Middleton (Kate Middleton's cousin), James Meade (a close friend of William's), and Thomas van Straubenzee (another old friend of William's who he's known since prep school).

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Considering most of George and Charlotte's godparents have been close friends of their parents and non-immediate relatives, it makes sense that Prince Louis' godparents come from outside of the inner royal circle.