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Prince Charles plans for the future as he collects water from the River Jordan

The Prince of Wales is bringing back several bottles of water from the River Jordan from his visit to the Middle East

Prince Charles arrived in Jordan on November 16th 2021 for his first overseas tour since the pandemic and one of his early stops on the trip was the spot on the river where it is believed that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. Following his time there, in which he knelt by the water and dipped his hand into its currents before placing the droplets close to his heart, Charles was given several phials of the water to keep in store in the UK.

The Royal Family traditionally uses water from the River Jordan during baptisms. The christening tradition stretches back many years. The water is poured into the Lily Font, designed for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, from a silver ewer made for the christening of King George III.

Now, Prince Charles has ensured that tradition can go on for several more years. News of the baptisms of several of the newest members of the House of Windsor is yet to be confirmed. The Prince’s youngest grandchild, Lili Mountbatten-Windsor, and Princess Beatrice’s daughter, Sienna Mapelli Mozzi, could both be christened with the water brought back to the UK by Charles.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.