Princess Royal and Countess of Wessex Not Invited to Christening of Prince George

Countess of Wessex and the Princess Royal, Princess Anne

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Princess Royal and the Countess of Wessex have been left off the guest list for the christening of Prince George this month after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they wanted an "intimate" ceremony.

The third in line to the throne will be baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury on October 23, but it now seems that only a handful of the couple's closest family and friends will witness the occasion at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace.

The Duke and Duchess have already shown a determination to set their own rules, rather than being bound by royal tradition, such as their choice of the Chapel Royal instead of Buckingham Palace, where the Duke and his father were christened.

But the omission of some of the most senior members of the Royal family from the guest list is likely to have come as a surprise to those who will not be there. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, October 10, 2013