I wondered if the Commonwealth Day photos of the Duchess of Sussex would really be the last photos we had of her before she gave birth. Turns out… sort of, but not really. On St. Patrick’s Day, Zara and Mike Tindall organized their youngest daughter’s christening, and Prince Harry was made baby Lena’s godfather. There were some photos from the christening at the Daily Mail on social media (see the above Instagram). I’m surprised more photographers weren’t camped out at St. Nicholas Church in Cherington yesterday, because not only were the Sussexes and the Tindalls there, but the Queen also came out for it, as did Princess Anne (Lena is her grandchild, so no surprise). It’s a little bit of a surprise that the Queen was there, especially considering that she skipped Prince Louis of Cambridge’s christening last year.
Prince Harry is not due to become a father until next month – but yesterday his cousin Zara Tindall showed her faith in his parenting abilities. She made him godfather to her baby Lena at her christening at St Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire. Harry was joined at the low-key ceremony by his wife, Meghan, who is expecting their first child in late April and whose growing baby bump was covered under a fashionable vintage-style buttoned coat.
The event was also attended by the Queen, whose presence will have surprised some royal-watchers because she did not attend the christening of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child, Prince Louis. Nine-month-old Lena, her youngest great-grandchild, was christened at the same church where her sister Mia and cousin Isla Phillips were blessed previously.
She was carried from the service in her christening gown by her father, former England rugby player Mike Tindall. Zara’s parents Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, who divorced in 1992, were also there but there was no sign of Prince Philip or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
It’s always said that the Queen is particularly fond of Zara, and it’s always said that Zara is particularly close to Prince Harry, so maybe that’s the explanation for all of this – Zara wanted only her closest family around for this quiet christening. It’s also possible that she invited the Cambridges and they already had their event with the Irish Guards and they didn’t feel like booking it to Cherington. Also: isn’t the argument always made about royal and godchildren that most of the time, godfathers and godmothers are not chosen within the family? I think it’s so sweet that Zara wanted Harry to be godfather.
You can see the DM’s exclusive photos here.
Exclusive: Prince Harry is made godfather to cousin Zara Tindall's little Lena, as he and Meghan join the Queen and other family members at her christening yesterday. https://t.co/KzomlOubGO
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) March 17, 2019
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Zara is close with both brothers. William is godfather to her oldest, Mia. And Zara is godmother to George.
I hope they keep it going. Mike can be godfather to Baby Sussex!
Gah, the weather looks like it was awful, although there’s a hilarious photo of the Queen at the DM just kind of grimacing at life which, well, fair enough.
And Meghan’s hat and coat at the christening were really no bueno…especially the weirdly designed, over-sized buttons.
That coat was terrible. The buttons are so weird!
Yeah, the coat was bad. So bad. Good gawd, those buttons.
Gosh, those buttons are next-level horrible. People drag Kate for her love of buttons but I don’t think I’ve seen her wear something with such gaudy supersized buttons like this.
That coat was a horror, the buttons were ghastly, and it made her backside look enormous. The beanie was bad and her hair got all wet, I guess, because it straggled. Where are the button jokes from the OP? Poor Meghan should really get a better stylist. She does not deserve to look like this.
@LIlla: talking about how “enormous” a pregnant woman in her third trimester looks…aren’t you a classy one?
It is 1950s vintage, possibly Dior. That’s the way the buttons were done then.
My mom had some great coats from them, same sleeve length, same hem length, and those same huge, dangly buttons.
Sigh… wish I kept all her coats! I was young(ish) when she died, and who knew at that age, that fashion was cyclical! lol
Jackie O cosplay.
And the royaldish influx starts. Sigh. It really is about to become an even more racist circus around here, isn’t it?
Also, I would kill for vintage Dior. Their quality is exquisite- especially of their mid-century pieces.
I love the coat too, including the buttons. Those swing coats are beautiful. Went to the Dior museum show and loved it. I’ll bet someone out there is still loving your mom’s coats jan90067.
We can keep track and try to collectively ignore them, AhoyOy.
Ahoyoy,
Some people are clearly overreacting about this coat. Meghan looks lovely and is very pregnant. She’s going to a private christening and not the Met Gala. I hate how people viciously criticize Meghan and Kate for everything but say very little about Will and Harry.
People are overreacting because some people really don’t understand Kaiser’s button jokes. They think that Kaiser has a personal vendetta against buttons or something lol, when it’s really just because Kate really does seem to seek out as many buttons as possible lol.
I like the coat! If you look at pictures of the coat on a model, that’s clearly how the buttons lay. I love the color too, just wish she hadn’t opted for a navy hat.
On another note, UGH do we really think the RD people will start flooding the comments?
I don’t think calling crazy big buttons crazy is overreacting. That style of buttons is not in fashion and seem especially weird on Meghan because she prefers clean, modern looks. The giant buttons with the tiny hat really throws off the look.
Ahoyoy: it’s deinitely a mix of royaldish trolls and Kate fans who are bitter that this is one of the few gossip sites that doesn’t completely kiss her ass. You’d think they’d be happier frequenting all the other places that worship her…but no, they love to whine and complain about her coverage here.
I just read that the coat is from William Vintage. They, 1st Dibs, and Shrimpton Couture are my favorite sites for quality vintage. They’re amazing. Meghan is smart to buy vintage. People complained when she wore mass market maternity, this way she can wear the swing coats after her pregnancy. Further, wearing vintage clothing is environmentally friendly- something we’ve not heard peep one about from the media, considering that conservation is supposed to be near and dear to Charles/William/Harry. But, no, let’s have the migrating trash from RD talk about ‘straggly hair’ and her giant ass. Neither one of those things is a microaggression at all.
Jan, it looks like they already are. I’m not even wading into the baby shower post.
Nota, I wish we could somehow ban the Meghan haters from this site. I’m really tired of them conflating justified criticism of Kate with racist attacks on Meghan.
Beach Dreams, you would think they would have their hands full back at RD hating on Charlene of Monaco and Stephanie of Luxembourg. Someone should write to that loony moderator over there and beg her to reopen the Harry and Meghan thread.
Nota, I would kill to see that Dior show. How was it?
Traveled to see the show. Most of it was amazing, the historic designers and changes over decades.
Ooooo I loved the color of the coat, though!
Yes, that iridescent brown into black combo.
The weather was been foul in the UK for the past weeks. There are floods in several areas.
I think Zara is the only royal family member who is a godmother to one of the Cambridges, so it seems they are all pretty close.
Love that Zara and Mike chose Harry as a godparent, and it seems like such a natural choice since they have a good dynamic. Zara and Mike seem pretty (relatively) grounded among the family, and I hope Baby Sussex has one of them in turn as godparent.
Also love that the Queen came out for Zara’s baby, and her closeness with Anne is really nice to see.
^ How many godparents would Baby Sussex have? I know the Cambridge kids have 4-6 each –
but not sure about this new baby.
Every child in the royal family has five or six godparents. I’m sure it will be no different for baby Sussex.
I read another article that said no one knew the royals were going to be there. It was meant to be private which is why there aren’t photos of anyone posing or smiling for the camera.
Also, I don’t feel comfortable judging them for what they wear on their time off at what was supposed to be a private family affair. Not everything is about fashion and Meghan looks appropriate for the occassion as well as all the other people I saw in photos of christening.
This christening was practically a stealth mission. No one knew. I wonder if Baby Sussex’s christening willie low key too; if anything is to prevent Bad Dad, Sam and/or Jr from bringing a tabloid camera crew and trying to crash the event.
I am not surprised that the Queen was there. Zara lost two pregnancies before this baby, so I am sure Lena is like a miracle baby.
Also, let’s not forget that William is godfather to Mia, and that Zara is godmother to George. Zara is close to both of her cousins
It wouldn’t surprise me if the christening was as at the chapel in Windsor estate, as the Cams was, to preclude the horrible Markles from crashing.
Of all the royals, Zara has the very best hats! There I said it. LOVE her taste in headwear.
They’re sometimes outrageous but Zara always owns it and wears them. Those hats never wear her.
Harry did not attend Princess Charlotte’s christening & he wasn’t there for the christening of Zara’s elder child which William attended. It’s ok for family members to miss some family events. I just wish we wouldn’t turn it into some kind of controversy or conspiracy theory.
+100000000
I think the argument is that they don’t choose siblings. Cousins as godparents is the norm. Diana’s niece is one of Charlotte’s godmothers and Zara is George’s. And William is one of Mia’s godparents.
I know some of you think Meghan has a face for hats, but I do not. And it’s made worse by her hat selections, which often look goofy and try-hard. There’s no way around it obviously as hats are a key part of “royal wear” but I think she looks better and more comfortable without them.
I agree. Meghan looks better in broad rim hats, the smaller hats and fascinators aren’t flattering on Meghan.
You’re exactly right. Meghan needs some hat help.
Meghan could look amazing in the right hats (Flying fish is absolutely right that she needs a broader brim). She needs a UK-based stylist who understands hats.
I looooove Zara’s shoes. Too bad about the weather.
Zara’s shoes lately have been on fire! Her choices have been so so good!
Let’s not forget that William was made a godfather to Zara’ s first child before that harry we as made one so nothing important here. And the the queen was there because she wanted to be there because she wanted to support Zara who had two miscarriages before. And I don’t even know why I am trying to let you understand while you are biased people who only believe what they want .
Lena is Harry’s 6th godchild. He is popular. I bet Zara or Mike will be Baby Sussex’s godparent, which would be fitting.
Meghan looked fine. Appropriately dressed for the occasion. She looked really uncomfortable, like Zara did at her wedding. The Queen looked none too pleased to see the press. But I liked her hat and coat. Same with Anne.
Were Peter and Summer there?
No they weren’t
^ she was, Autumn was there with both her girls.
Do you mean Autumn?
Yep. I meant Autumn. My sister is actually Summer.
Unfortunately names in our family aren’t as fun as Summer or Autumn. More traditional.
One of my sisters-in-law has a family line that goes back to early New England (US), and there’s a whole host of amazing women’s names in her family tree. Thankful, Deliverance, Experience, Desire, Liberty, Silence, Bathsheba. There’s Chiliab and Theophilus for the men, but the women are much more interesting.
A nurse that worked with my dad when he was in the hospital a few years ago was named Experience, which was pretty unique (and reassuring!) Otherwise, don’t think I’ve ever met even a Prudence, much less a Desire or Liberty.
Autumn not Summer. Mia’s christening was a stealth mission too. That’s the way Zara and Mike do things.
I think the Queen’s expression in that one photo was really about the rain & the wind, not the press.
I HATE the Daily Mail. Sooo misogynistic.
No, just so horrible full stop.
The site has missed the other big story of the weekend – PRAMGATE
DM and the Express both ran stories of Meghan breaking tradition (again) by apparently buying a buggy from iCandy instead of Silver Cross .
Only thing is, turns out Zara has a sponsorship deal with them and even did videos of her using the non Silver Cross
That top pic? Harry is somehow getting even more handsome.
Lena’s middle name is Elizabeth, after the Queen. I bet HM scratched her Sunday evening bridge game off her calendar when she heard about the christening and made it a point to be there.
I really like how low-key it was. Did not like the buttons on Meghan’s coat. They looked cheap and as if they would fall off at any time. I want to steal all the shoes in Zara’s closet!
Zara really has snazzy taste in shoes – they are always interesting! When I see photos of her, I always look to see her footwear lol
Is it common to wait that long in England for christenings — I mean 8 or 9 months ? I’ve noticed that about Kate’s too. My own (American) babies were like 2 or 3 months and my friends at the time did the same. Pretty much newborns at christenings.
Kate’s were 3 months with George, 2 months with Charlotte, and 2 1/2 months with Louis. Charles and Diana waited 2 months for William and 3 months for Harry. Perhaps it’s just a Zara thing to wait so long? Zara also waited a long time with Mia – something like 9 or 10 months.
If they wanted the Queen there, they were lucky to only have to wait 9 months.
Okay this is the first time, but I do not like the coat Meghan is wearing. It’s awful, just ghastly. I don’t care if it was 50s Dior, those buttons are tragic. TRAGIC.
Mike and Zara Tindall are my favorite couple for “snazzy” dressing! I ADORE how Mike always matches his tie to whatever Zara has on–and how dapper he looks with his tweed and three-piece suits. Also, he has a very strong shoe game. Zara’s outfits lately have been ridiculously good! Well tailored, the colors are appropriate and flattering. And her hat and shoe game is #1. She’s a better dresser than both Kate and Meghan in my opinion.
I really like Zara, and I find myself being able to relate to her the most out of any of the women in the royal family
That ugly coat is Dior?? She could have found a cuter coat at J Crew for way less. Mike Tindall looks so cute carrying Baby Lena and kissing her little head. I love Zara’s shoes! She has great legs too. QEII looks impeccable as per usual.
William is godfather to Mia, Zara’s oldest daughter. It makes sense that they would have Harry be a godfather to Lena.
Mia’s Christening was also super quiet and there weren’t many photos. As I recall, Harry didn’t go to Mia’s Christening, but William did since he was a godfather. So it makes sense that William didn’t go to Lena’s but Harry did since he’s a godfather.
Kate and her buttons are bad but this takes it to a whole new level. Yikes.
Meghan’s coat is lovely and the buttons are fine, they’re supposed to be large as they’re vintage. Perhaps a good tailor, though, would have ‘tightened’ them up a bit so they didn’t hang so much.
I don’t know if they could be tightened. If they’re old school buttons, it is one simple metal loop embedded in the back of the button.
And that coat is hideous. Those buttons look like theyre falling off. I dont care if its vintage or what not. Its an untidy look.
Meghan has access to so many designer and none can ever get the fit right. What is wrong with them?!???