Since the birth of their daughter, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie have tried to be like any other new parents. And while the setting and company may have been a bit more rarified than usual, the pride and joy in the faces of the couple at the baptism of Lady Louise reflected those of all new mums and dads.
In a break with tradition, the newest member of the royal family was christened in the private chapel at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace where most royal babies are baptised.
In the official photos released to celebrate the occasion, Sophie, dressed in an elegant chiffon gown in cream silk, cuddles her daughter on her lap, while Edward tenderly rests his hand on Louise's chubby arm. A happy smile on her face, the Queen, who is known to be fond of Sophie, flanks the couple along with the Duke of Edinburgh, while Sophie's parents Mary and Chris Rhys-Jones are seated on the pair's right.
Behind them in the shots taken by society photographer Patrick Litchfield, are the infant's new godparents. These are headed by Francesca Schwarzenbach, a tycoon’s wife and friend of Edward and Sophie, and include godfathers Rupert Elliot, a friend of Edward's from his Cambridge University days, and Lord Ivar Mountbatten, the Earl's cousin. Her other two godmothers are Lady Alexandra Etherington, another of Edward's cousins, and Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon's daughter Lady Sarah Chatto.
As all those around her smile into the camera, little Louise looks on solemnly, her gaze already reflecting an eye condition with which she has been diagnosed. Last week it emerged that the six-month-old, who was born four weeks prematurely and delivered by Caesarean section, will need an operation to try and correct her exotropia. The rare condition leads to one eye deviating from its normal position and could result in blindness. Louise now faces a series of tests before specialists can operate.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
