All the special touches that will make Prince Louis' christening unforgettable

With just days to go until Prince William and Kate Middleton christen their third child, Prince Louis, we take a look at what to expect from the intimate family affair which will take place on 9 July. Prince Louis' big day will no doubt be very similar to Prince George and Charlotte's. Not only will he follow their lead and wear the same historic cream gown they donned for their own christenings, but he will also be the same age as both his siblings when he's baptised: three months old. The similarities don't stop there, however. The young royal's special day, which will be his second official outing after being introduced to the world outside the Lindo Wing on 23 April, will also include important poignant touches, such as the water from the River Jordan in the Middle East and a sacred bowl which has been in the royal family since 1841.

Click through to discover all the details about Prince Louis' special day…

Prince Louis to wear the same gown as his siblings

Prince William and Kate's son will wear the same cream gown his siblings donned for their christenings.

The new royal christening gown is a replica of the lace garment made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter Victoria in 1841, which was worn at royal christenings up until 2008 but was replaced with an exact match as it became too fragile to wear.

Justin Welby will christen Prince Louis

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, will christen the royal couple's third child. 

Justin is the royal's go-to man for all things weddings and christenings. He recently officiated Prince Harry and Meghan's royal nuptials and he christened both Prince George and Princess Charlotte in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Meghan Markle's special connection to Prince Louis' big day

The Duchess of Sussex will no doubt be a part of the little Prince's special day, and it might bring back some special memories, as Meghan herself was baptised at the Chapel Royal earlier this year.

Just months before her big day with Prince Harry, Meghan was baptised into the Church of England in a secret ceremony that was only attended by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The intimate 45-minute service, which took place in March, was also conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

No crowds allowed at Prince Louis' christening

Unlike George and Louis' christening, Charlotte's big day was held in the more open setting of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandrignham, which allows well-wishers to camp on the footpath to get a glimpse of the royals.

Royal fans got a good look at the whole royal family and the 21 guests in attendance, but that won't be the case on 9 July. We will however, get a few photos of them arriving and leaving, as we did with George back in 2013.

Will the Duchess of Cambridge wear Alexander McQueen again?

Kate has shown off her impecable style at both previous events, opting for a cream Alexander McQueen coat for Prince George's christening and a white Alexander McQueen coat-dress for Charlotte's.

Alexander McQueen is definitely the Duchess' go-to designer, so we expect to see her in another showstopping design by the brand. The mother-of-three may also opt to wear cream or white again, a shade she usually favours at these types of events.

The Middleton family will attend - with a new addition!

The whole Middleton clan will be by Kate's side at Prince Louis' christening, but they will be accompanied by a new family member too, James Matthews.

Pregnant Pippa's husband missed out on the previous royal christenings, but since their wedding in May 2017, the hedge fund manager has accompanied his wife to royal events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.

The Lily Font

All royal babies are baptised using water held in the sacred Lily Font bowl, which is kept at The Tower of London. The special item has been in the royal family and used in baptisms since 1841.

The stunning silver-gilt piece is part of the Crown Jewels and was used for both Prince George and Princess Charlotte's christenings.

The Lily Font was taken to St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham for the baptism of Princess Charlotte in Norfolk in 2015. It was reported that this was the first time the font had left London in its history, though it had previously been kept in Windsor, from where it had been taken to London in 1926 for the baptism of Princess Elizabeth.

We will see nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo in her Norland uniform

Nanny Maria Borrallo is almost always present at big family events, most recently she was on hand at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding to help look after the adorable bridal party, which included Prince George as a pageboy and Princess Charlotte as a bridesmaid.

For Princess Charlotte's christening in 2015 she was pictured wearing her Norland nanny uniform, and we can expect the same at Louis'.

The unique beige ensemble, complete with bowler hat, white gloves (in summer) peter-pan collar, a conservative below-the-knee hemline and a pin-on watch, was created in 1892 and designed by the Norland College where Maria studied to be a super-nanny.

First official photograph as a family of five

A few days after Prince Louis' christening, royal fans will be treated to the family's first official portrait as a family of five.

Up until now we've only seen Prince Louis with his parents outside of the Lindo Wing and posing with sister Charlotte during her birthday celebrations at Kensington Palace. So we are definitely excited to see Prince George interacting with his new brother!

We will also be treated to a complete family picture which will include the Queen, Prince Philip, grandad Prince Charles and the whole Middleton family.

Prince Louis' godparents

We won't know who Prince William and Kate have chosen until the morning of the big day, but we can expect them to choose quite a few.

For Prince George in 2013, the royal couple selected seven people to take on the role as godparents for their first-born son.

In 2015, they chose five close family members and friends for Charlotte's, with Sophie Carter, James Meade, Adam Middleton, Laura Fellowes and Thomas van Straubenzee being her official custodians.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend the christening

Both of Prince Louis' siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be present on 9 July. It seems the Cambridges thought of everything when choosing the date, and have perfectly made it coincide with when their children are officially on summer holidays.

Princess Charlotte finishes nursery around 1 July and Prince George on the Friday before the christening, 6 July.