Prince George's christening portraits by Jason Bell unveiled

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Gordon Summer, Chief engraver for the Royal Mint, holds a commemorative gold coin to celebrate the christening of Prince George outside St James’ Palace in London. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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Royal well-wisher Terry Hut waves British flags outside St James’ Palace ahead of the christening of Prince George in London. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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Crowds gather for a glimpse of the royals as they enter St James’ Palace ahead of the christening of Prince George in London. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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A royal well-wisher salutes outside St James’ Palace ahead of the christening of Prince George in London. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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The car carrying Britain’s Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their son, Prince George, is escorted by police as it drives from Kensington Palace in London on the way to St. James Palace for the christening of Prince George. (Lefteris Pitarakis / Associated Press)

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Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and her son, Prince George, leave Kensington Palace for his christening. (Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA)

By Nardine Saad

Oct. 24, 2013 5:44 PM PT

Prince George’s christening portraits have arrived!

OK, now we can officially gush about how cute Prince George is ...

Prince William and his wife, Catherine, the former Kate Middleton, baptized their 3-month-old baby Wednesday and have unveiled four highly anticipated official family portraits that were shot by celebrity photographer Jason Bell after the 35-minute ceremony.

The tiny prince, who will eventually be named the head of the Church of England when he is crowned, was christened during a small private ceremony at the Chapel Royal in London’s St. James’s Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

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“It has been a tremendously joyful occasion for everyone involved,” a representative for Kensington Palace said in a statement following the christening.

After the event, the family and guests wen to Clarence House for tea and refreshments, including the top top tier of Wills and Kate’s wedding cake, E! News reported. According to British tradition, couples freeze the top tier of the cake and serve it at the baptism of their firstborn, the site said.

On Thursday, Kate attended a gala dinner to aid her charity Action on Addiction hosted by the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Philanthropic Initiatives.

“He was such a good boy actually,” she told Sky News (via the Mirror). “We were very lucky, he’s not always like that.”

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Even though the ceremony was private affair attended only by close family and friends (and George’s seven godparents), the images were available for royalists around the world to appreciate.

Bell, who has worked for Vogue and Vanity Fair, has portraits hanging in the National Gallery in London and that’s how the duchess, who is patron to the gallery, reportedly came across his work, according to the Guardian and Telegraph.

The portraits were taken at Clarence House, the residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, in the centuries-old Morning Room, which was originally meant to be the breakfast room for the Duke of Clarence in 1825-1827. The subjects were seated on and around an ornate sofa that dates back to 1773, the palace said.

The little prince appears the most boisterous in the shot taken of him with his parents. William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are smiling, seated on an ornate sofa with George sitting on his mother’s lap, raising his arms to his sides. William wore a dark suit and light blue tie for the occasion and Kate wore a cream fascinator to match the cream dress from her wedding gown designer, Alexander McQueen. As for the guest of honor, Prince George was garbed in a cascading replica of the christening gown first worn by the daughter of Queen Victoria in 1841.

PHOTOS: Prince George’s christening

The family also unveiled the highly anticipated shot of Queen Elizabeth II, 87, seated with three generations of future kings standing behind her: her son, Prince Charles; Charles’ son Prince William; and William’s son, Prince George, who is carried by his smiling dad. It’s the first time a portrait like this has been taken in 114 years, the Telegraph reported.

The family portrait shows Kate seated with Prince George on her lap and flanked by her husband and Queen Elizabeth II. Behind them stand the queen’s husband, Prince Philip; Prince Charles; Charles’ wife, Camilla; William’s brother, Prince Harry; Kate’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton; her brother, James Middleton and their parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.

Another portrait shows the boy with just the members of William’s family and the queen, dressed in a blue ensemble, gazing adoringly at her great-grandson and third in line to the British throne.

The Morning Room is decorated by other family pictures, which can be seen in the background of Bell’s photos. A bronze 1933 bust of the queen stands in the background along with one of her sister, Margaret. Also in the background are a photograph of Prince Charles with his two sons when Prince Harry was a toddler and a Walter Sickert painting of King George V talking to his racing manager from 1927-30.

William and Kate, ever the non-traditionalists, released informal portraits of themselves with George back in August. The two pictures were taken by Michael Middleton on the family estate in Bucklebury, England, while the duke and duchess were staying there following George’s July 22 birth.

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