King George V & Queen Mary attend Ramsay christening

Embed from Getty Images 

 February 23, 1920 

 King George V and Queen Mary attended the christening of the son of Commander, the Hon. Alexander Ramsay of Mar and his wife, Lady Patricia. The baptism took place this afternoon at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. The water used in the baptism of the infant "was drawn from the Jordan by the Duke of Connaught when the British crossed the river in the advance of 1917." 

Lady Patricia is the youngest child of the Duke of Connaught. She renounced her royal titles when she married in February 1919. Queen Alexandra, accompanied by her youngest daughter, Princess Victoria, and the Prince of Wales also attended the baptismal service. The service began at noon. The infant was given the names Alexander Arthur Alfonso David, after his father, grandfather, the King of Spain and the Prince of Wales. 

The baby's sponsors were the Prince of Wales, Princess Mary, the Marquess of Carisbrooke (proxy for the Duke of Connaught), Prince Arthur of Connaught (proxy for the King Alfonso XIII of Spain), Princess Christian, Princess Helena Victoria and Commander B. Eyres-Monsell. 

The Princess Royal, Princess Arthur of Connaught, Princess Maud, Princess Marie Louise, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, the Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, the Marchioness of Carisbrooke, the Countess of Dalhousie (the baby's paternal grandmother), Lady Ida Ramsay, Lady Jean Ramsay, the Hon. Simon Ramsay and members of the Duke of Connaught's staff. The Prince of Wales, according to the Times of London, walked across from York House to the Chapel, "acknowledging the cheers of the large crowd, gathered outside the gateway." 

He was "received at the door, as were the King and Queen and Princess Mary, later, by Captain Ramsay and Canon Edgar Sheppard, Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal." 

Lady Patricia Ramsay was responsible for the seating arrangements. The "children" of the Chapel Royal sang two hymns: "In token that thou shalt not fear" and "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sleep." Princess Christian handed the infant to Canon Sheppard for the baptism. 

The Prince of Wales "presented his godson with a handsome inscribed christening cup." After the ceremony, the prince was accompanied by Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria, "walking across to York House," where they had lunch.