Princess Charlotte’s christening, like all royal christenings, sparked a lot of media interest. In particular, her pram and her gown!
The pram, which I’m sure we’ll come back to in a future blog post, was a vintage Millson used by many of the royal family on similar occasions. The christening gown was actually a replica. The original was a satin and lace garment made for Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter, also called Victoria, in 1841. The original pretty well fell apart after generations of use, in 2008. So Charlotte wore the same christening gown as her brother George, an almost exact copy of the original Victorian one.
Christening gowns – ancient and modern
There are many traditions associated with christenings. It used to be mandatory for the baby to wear a white christening gown. Usually with short sleeves and a long skirt that displayed either fine fabric or intricate embroidery to show the family’s status and investment in the newborn. These days many churches do not insist on a gown. With the Church of England simply asking that the child be wrapped in a white garment after baptism. This is to symbolise their new life with Christ.
For many families the traditional christening gown disappeared in the 1960s and now parents struggle to find an heirloom garment. In such cases it’s a fun idea to start a new tradition. For others it’s size that’s a problem. Modern babies are born much bigger than a few generations ago and don’t fit into the family gown. There’s another reason. Whilst in 1992 around 80% of baptisms were of babies under a year in age. By 2012 this had dropped to less than 60%. Many parents prefer to wait until a child can remember the occasion and quite a few families like to christen their first and second children together. This means that children tend to be much bigger at christening and gowns are no longer appropriate.
For all these reasons, a traditional christening gown can be problematic. There are a couple of solutions
- Dress your children in modern attire. Baby chino trousers for boys or an embroidered skirt for a girl, both worn with smocked white tops. Make a charming alternative to the traditional outfit.
- Opt for a christening sash. The great thing about sashes is that they can be lengthened or shortened. Use of a couple of pins or stitches. One great idea is to have each child’s initials monogrammed onto the sash so it becomes a permanent reminder of its heirloom status. Remember to keep the monogram simple, so plenty of names can be added!
- Stick to tradition but simply have a christening skirt that can be tacked onto any top you choose. That allows for bigger babies and later christenings.
Christening tips
Remember baby will be on display and can become fretful – ensure you or your maternity nurse have some favourite toys handy and that you’ve got a blanket or wrap that smells of home. Baby will be comforted by the familiar odour in an unfamiliar situation.
Don’t neglect other children in the family – give them something to do! One of our favourite ideas is asking them to sketch a picture before the event. Then getting it made into a cushion by Stitch a sketch. They can carry it to the font during the ceremony. Bearing baby’s bottle or dummy or favourite toy. It makes them part of the whole day and gives them a permanent memento of their role.
Don’t forget to build a break into the day for yourself. Your maternity nurse is ideally placed to help you plan a day that doesn’t exhaust you. Canny mums organise a bit of fun after the ceremony. So people can let off steam and they can get a little rest. Setting up a little treasure hunt at home. Or at the reception venue is one way of buying yourself some relaxation time.
For summer christenings. Garden games are a wonderful way of slipping away to put your feet up for twenty minutes while your guests master the complexities of croquet!