Prince William to become a godfather PRINCE WILLIAM is to become a godfather for the first time later this month, promising moral guidance to probably the best-connected baby in the world.
With four monarchs-to-be, two princes and a princess at the font, this will, indeed, be a glistening christening. The 16-year-old Prince's first godchild will be Prince Konstantine Alexios, the baby son of Crown Prince and Crown Princess Pavlos of Greece. The ceremony will take place at the Greek Cathedral of Saint Sophia in west London, to be followed by a private dinner at Claridge's.
Though the youngest godparent present, Prince William will not only be familiar with but also related to most of his seven fellow-godparents. Like him, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, 30, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 21, and Prince Felipe of Asturias, the 30-year-old son and heir of King Juan Carlos of Spain, are all descendants of Queen Victoria and all in line to succeed to their respective thrones.
The throneless contingent consists of Prince Nikolaos of Greece, 29, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, 40, a New York-based jewellery expert, and Princess Alexandra von Furstenburg, 26, who is the sister of Crown Princess Pavlos. The only godparent not to have troubled the editors of the Almanach de Gotha is Doris Robbs, a family friend.
The occasion will underline the deep connections between the Royal Family and their Greek cousins. The baby's grandfather, King Constantine of the Hellenes, who lives in exile in London, is a godfather to Prince William. The Prince of Wales is not only godfather to Crown Prince Pavlos, 31, but also to the Crown Prince's eldest child, Princess Maria-Olympia, two. Diana, Princess of Wales was godmother to the Crown Prince's younger brother, Prince Phillipos, 12.
Prince William can expect to be a godparent many times over, future monarchs being much in demand for the role. The Queen is a godmother 30 times over and the Prince of Wales 32 times, which means that each must remember a birthday at least once a fortnight. Diana, Princess of Wales had 17 godchildren. Like Prince William, the Prince of Wales was also a godparent for the first time at the age of 16 when he became godfather to both of Lord and Lady Brabourne's twin sons, Timothy and the late Nicholas Knatchbull.
The Greek royal christening also marks yet another social triumph for the baby's maternal grandparents, the duty free retail billionaire Robert Miller and his wife, Chantal. Of their three daughters, two have become princesses.
Marie-Chantal, 30, married Crown Prince Pavlos in 1995. In the same year, Alexandra, 26, married American-born Prince Alexandre von Furstenberg, a member of a minor German royal house. Though still a commoner, eldest daughter, Pia-Christina, 32, qualifies as an "oil royal", having married a Getty.
With all the ingredients for a bumper issue of Hello!, the christening will attract a huge international media contingent to the cathedral.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1999.
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