London - Prince Harry is not due to become a father until next month – but on Sunday his cousin Zara Tindall showed her faith in his parenting abilities.
She made him godfather to her baby Lena at her christening at St Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire.
Harry was joined at the low-key ceremony by his wife, Meghan, who is expecting their first child in late April and whose growing baby bump was covered under a fashionable vintage-style buttoned coat.
The event was also attended by the Queen, whose presence will have surprised some royal-watchers because she did not attend the christening of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child, Prince Louis.
The Queen held her own umbrella as she left the Grade-I listed church during a spring shower.
Nine-month-old Lena, her youngest great-grandchild, was christened at the same church where her sister Mia and cousin Isla Phillips were blessed previously.
She was carried from the service in her christening gown by her father, former England rugby player Mike Tindall. Zara’s parents Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, who divorced in 1992, were also there but there was no sign of Prince Philip or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Rev Dr Gerald South, the priest in charge, said the service was "lovely" but declined to comment further.
An onlooker said: "There were between seven and ten police cars discreetly parked in a farmyard on the edge of the village, and we saw a few bobbies dotted around the village. But considering the number of royals in attendance, it was a surprisingly low-key event."
Parish councillor Kate Gegg said she had attended morning service at the church and had no idea the royals were about to arrive. "The vicar didn’t say anything about it," she added.