New footage has been released by Movietone – one of the world’s newsreel archives – of 4-week-old Prince Charles on his christening day.
The charming clip from 1948 shows newborn Charles in the arms of his 22-year-old mother, then Princess Elizabeth, and his great-grandmother Queen Mary. While the christening was a private affair, much like Princess Charlotte’s on July 5, the royal family invited cameras to Buckingham Palace afterward where the video was filmed.
In the clip, Charles is wearing the gorgeous lace christening gown that was created in 1841 for Queen Victoria’s daughter. Made of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, it was worn by 62 royal babies until it was deemed too fragile to wear in 2004. A replica of that special gown was then commissioned, worn by both Prince George and Princess Charlotte at their own christenings.
Watch footage from Prince Charles’ christening day:
