A Royal Baptism

Prince Oscar, born March 3 to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, was baptized according to tradition in the Royal Chapel. 

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  H.R.H. Prince Oscar with his family and both sets of grandparents. Photo Henrik Garlov/Kungahuset

• The royal baby's baptism, which can be seen in its entirety on SVT1 and at www.kungahuset.se, was celebrated with water obtained from a source on the southern island of Öland, a tradition that the prince’s grandparents, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia began with their children, a variation of the one that royals, such as the King himself, were baptized with the waters of the Jordan River. The silver baptismal font has been used since the late 1600s when King Charles XI gifted it for the new chapel in the castle church.
  The christening gown that Prince Oscar wore was first worn by Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1906. It has since also been worn by Prince Gustaf Adolf’s four siblings and his five children (including Prince Oscar's Morfar, King Carl XVI Gustaf), then Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine, Princess Estelle, Princess Leonore and Prince Nicolas.
  Following the service, the Armed Forces fired a 21-gun salute from Skeppsholmen and the Honor Guard stood ceremoniously as Life Guards around the outer and inner courtyards and inside the South Gate of the castle church entrance when guests arrived and departed.
  Life Guards date to 1521 when 16 men of Dalarna were named Gustav Vasa's bodyguards. After his entry into Stockholm as the newly elected king on Midsummer Day in 1523, these bodyguards were ranked Life Guards and have since appeared at the Royal Court ceremonies.