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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Christening of the infant princess - as recorded in the Times.

From The Times, June 25, 1819

June 24, 1819 was the day "appointed for the private christening of the infant Princess," daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.  Preparations were made for the ceremony to take place at Kensington Palace.  The royal gold font was brought from the Tower of London, and was placed in the "grand saloon with crimson velvet coverings from the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace."

Members of the Royal family and others "invited to the ceremony, assembled at the palace" shortly after 3 p.m.   The Prince Regent, attended by Sir Benjamin Bloomfield,  "was received by the Duke of Kent, who escorted him to the grand saloon.

The baptismal ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of London.

The infant Princess "was named Alexandrina Victoria."  Her sponsors were the Prince Regent, the Emperor Alexander of Russia, represented by the Duke of York; the Dowager Queen of Württemberg, who was represented by the Princess Augusta; the Dowager Duchess of Coburg, who was represented by the Duchess of Gloucester.

At the "close of the baptism," the Bishop of London "recorded the proceedings in the Register Book of the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace.

The witnesses to the proceedings were the Prince Regent, the Duke of York, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Princess Augusta, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Sophia Mathilda of Gloucester, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, Princess Feodora of Leiningen, and others.

After the ceremony the "company partook of some refreshments" in palace's north vestibule. 

In the evening, the Duke and Duchess of Kent "had a numerous and splendid party to celebrate the joyful event."  The guests included the Princess Augusta, the Duchess of York, the Duke of Sussex, Prince Leopold, among others (including a Captain Conroy."

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