On June 20, Kensington Palace announced the details of Prince Louis' christening, and that very special day—Monday, July 9—is almost here.
Here's everything we learned in the official announcement, per Kensington Palace:
"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to announce that the christening of Prince Louis will take place on Monday 9th July at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, London.
Prince Louis will be christened by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby."
Not included in the announcement is the fact that July 9th has a very special meaning to Louis' great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. On July 9, 1947, Elizabeth (who was still known as Princess Elizabeth at the time) publicly announced her engagement to Philip Mountbatten, now known as Prince Philip. If you're doing the math, that's 71 years ago, which is impressive for any relationship.
The couple had been engaged for a year before the announcement, The Mirror reports, but the day still marks a huge milestone in their relationship. The occasion was also commemorated with an official engagement portrait, which featured the happy couple staring lovingly into each other's eyes.
It's not clear if July 9 was selected on purpose in honor of the Queen's engagement announcement or if it's just a coincidence that it falls on the same day, but it's adorable either way.
And, of course, the tradition of releasing a gorgeous, official engagement portrait has held strong since Elizabeth and Philip's love-filled shot from 1947. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their own official engagement portraits back in December.
"Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments following the release of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle's engagement photographs. The couple are so grateful for the warm and generous messages they have received during such a happy time in their lives," Kensington Palace captioned a final picture from the couple's portrait session. "As a way to say thank you, they have decided to share this candid photograph from the day of their portrait sittings directly with all of you."
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