Jason Bell to snap UK royal christening

Jason Bell to snap UK royal christening
on october 22, 2013 at 8:55 pm in showtime people
Catherine, William and their baby
LONDON (AFP) – Celebrity portrait photographer
Jason Bell, known for his pictures of Paul
McCartney and David Beckham, will take the official
christening photos of Britain’s Prince George,
Kensington Palace announced Tuesday.
Prince William and his wife Catherine asked him to
take the official photographs following Wednesday’s
service in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.
Bell is renowned for his portraits of Beatles legend
McCartney, football icon Beckham, and Hollywood
stars such as Scarlett Johansson.
The award-winning photographer will take the
pictures at Clarence House, the home of William’s
father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.
The
pictures are set to become milestone images in
British royal history as they should show four
generations of monarchs together: Queen Elizabeth
II, her eldest son Charles, his eldest son William
and the new royal baby.
The last time such a baptism photo was taken was
in 1894 at the christening of the future king Edward
VIII, showing the infant with his father, later king
George V, grandfather, the future king Edward VII,
and great grandmother, queen Victoria.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have asked
Jason Bell to be the official photographer at the
christening of their son, Prince George,” Kensington
Palace said in a statement.
The pictures will be released on Thursday.
Bell has done photo shoots for Vogue, Vanity Fair,
Time and Newsweek magazines, among others.
The 44-year-old Londoner has also photographed
Hollywood stars such as Nicole Kidman, Johnny
Depp, Kate Winslet, Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Liam
Neeson and Daniel Craig.
US Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps,
England footballer Wayne Rooney, comic Chris Rock
and vocalists Eminem, Sting and Robbie Williams
have all posed for Bell.
He decided on a career as a portrait photographer
while studying politics, philosophy and economics
at Britain’s prestigious Oxford University.
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and
spiritual leader of the Church of England, will
perform the baptism ceremony.
The leader of the world’s Anglicans said in a
YouTube video that the baptism of George, who was
born on July 22, would be a historic moment for
Britain.
“As a nation we’re celebrating the birth of someone
who, in due course, will be the head of state,” he
explained.
“That’s extraordinary. It gives you this sense of
forward looking, of the forwardness of history as
well as the backwardness of history, and what a gift
to have this new life and to look forward,” he said.
“I will mark Prince George with the sign of the cross
on his forehead.
“That is the sign by which we understand that this
person belongs to God.”