Princess Charlotte’s Christening Was Beautiful In More Ways Than One

We can bet today is probably the only day in her life that little Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will have to wear a hand-me-down. The 9-week-old daughter of William and Kate was christened at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham. The fourth in line to the throne wore the lace and satin christening gown worn by her older brother George, a replica of the one that had been used by Queen Victoria's first daughter and every royal baby until 2008, the BBC reports.

In the church that's near the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's second home, the princess received five godparents: Adam Middleton (Kate's cousin), Lady Laura Fellowes (William's cousin), William's friends Thomas van Straubenzee and James Mead, and Kate's friend Sophie Carter. That leaves out Prince Harry and Kate's siblings Pippa and James from the godparent ranks for both Cambridge kids, though of course, they were all in attendance, along with her grandparents and great-grandmama, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Telegraph reprinted the homily delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who performed the ceremony, which includes a lovely sentiment for a little girl whose life is going to be the focus of attention for many more years to come: "It seems that different forms of ambition are hard wired into almost all of us. At a baptism our ambitions are rightly turned into hopes and prayers for the child, today for Princess Charlotte. Everyone wants something for their children. At our best we seek beauty, not necessarily of form, but of life."

He concluded with a reminder of how the royals can actually serve the public in modern times, as a comfort to their country in the wake of tragedies like the terrorist bombing in Tunisia. "In such times as ours, those who suffer, such as the wounded or bereaved in Tunisia and other places, need lives of beauty around them, lives that share healing and hope, offering to all around them, both in times of light and darkness, a vision of a Christ-filled future."

And now, go ahead and enjoy the more physical form of beauty in the pics of the family on this big day.