Prince George Godparents: No Pippa Or Harry Among The Lucky Seven?
Prince George, future King of England, is being christened on Wednesday and seven lucky people have been chosen for the honor, but not Pippa or Harry?
Many expected Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa and Prince William’s brother Harry to be chosen for the honor of becoming godparents to the heir to the throne, but as it is, the royal couple is doing the unexpected.
A mix of young and old, the lucky seven named godparents to Prince George are:
Zara Tindall, 32, is Prince William’s cousin. An Olympic silver medalist at the London 2012 Olympics and former BBC Personality of The Year, Zara shares William’s love for horseback riding.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, 53, was rumored as one of the choices for Prince George’s godparents. He is a former SAS Major and served as William and Harry’s press secretary from 2005 until a few weeks ago. He has been a trusted adviser to the Duke throughout his life. His son, William, was a pageboy at Kate and Prince William’s wedding in 2011.
Oliver “Oli” Baker, 31, met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St. Andrews University, where he was one of the members of their close group of friends known as “Sallies boys,” named after the residence hall they lived in. He was one of two friends who shared a flat with William and Kate during their last two years at Cambridge.
Emila Jardine-Paterson, 31, is one of Kate Middleton’s closest friends from their years at Marlborough College. She was another sure bet to be named godparent to Prince George. In 2007, when Kate and William split, she consoled her heartbroken friend with a vacation at her uncle’s villa in Ibiza.
Earl Grosvenor, 22, also known as Hugh to his friends is the youngest and richest of Prince George’s godparents. As the son and heir of the Duke of Westminster, he is to inherit a fortune estimated at £7.35 billion.
Julia Samuel, 53, was one of Princess Diana’s closest friends. She works as a maternity and pediatric counselor at St. Mary’s Hospital, where Prince George was born on July 22. She became friends with Diana after being seated next to her at a dinner party and often accompanied the late Princess to concerts and sporting events.
William van Cutsem, 33, is one of Prince William’s oldest friends, along with his three brothers, and as young boys they played together often. William’s brother Edward is a godson to Prince William’s father, Prince Charles. The Duke was in attendance at the late Hugh van Custem’s funeral last month.
Prince George appears to have a balanced selection of godparents, and even though no member of William or Kate’s family was selected, the chosen ones have enjoyed great influence in his parents’ lives and promise to continue their friendship as the future King of England grows up.
