Prince Louis's Christening at St. James's Palace's Chapel Royal Adds to the Venue's Long History

The christening of Prince Louis, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child, at St. James’s Palace’s Chapel Royal, just adds to a long list of royal events that have taken place at the historic British landmark. (The event was historic in and of itself independent of the venue: Prince Louis, who was born in April, made his first public appearance with the entire royal family, including his older brother and sister, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.) The Chapel Royal was completed as part of St. James’s Palace in 1536 under the orders of King Henry VIII and currently houses important relics of the royal family, including the heart of Henry VIII’s first child, Mary I. In more (relatively) modern times, the chapel was also the venue for royal weddings, including that of Prince George, the Duke of York, and Princess Mary of Teck, who tied the knot there on July 6, 1893. Before that, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married there in 1840.

But as of 1997, there's also a tragic tie to the modern royal family: Princess Diana’s body was kept at the Chapel Royal in a coffin placed before the altar so that family and friends could pay their respects before the funeral at Westminster Abbey. More than a decade later, the Duchess of Cambridge was confirmed by the Church of England there on March 10, 2011, one month before she and Prince William married at Westminster Abbey. As the future Queen of England (Prince William is expected to become king), it was important that Kate Middleton be given her communion before the wedding. Most recently, Prince Louis’s older brother, Prince George, was christened at the Chapel Royal in 2013. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who officiated George’s christening, oversaw Louis’s as well.