Prince Louis' godparents: Who is in the running to be Prince Louis' godparent?

Prince Louis' christening  takes place next week and the youngest of Kate and Will's children will have a slightly different ceremony to Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

This will be Prince Louis' first public appearance since he was born on the 23 April. Despite his special day being just around the corner, his godparents are still yet to be confirmed.

When Kate and William first announced that they were expecting baby number three, speculation that Prince Harry could be godfather circulated.

However, royal watchers have come to the conclusion that Prince Harry probably won't be Prince Louis' godfather as the emphasis is likely to be on close friends and not family.

For the same reason, it's unlikely Meghan Markle, who is thought to be keen to start her own family with husband Prince Harry, will be Prince Louis' godmother.

Bookies have odds of 14/1 on Meghan being picked for the special role, but who does that leave in the running?

Taking a look at Prince George and Princess Charlotte's godparents could give us a better idea.

Prince George's godparents:

Prince George was christened in 2013, three months after he was born and has seven godparents. Prince William's cousin Zara Tindall is one of George's godparents and is clearly close to her godson. Earlier this year it was reported that she was teaching Prince George how to ride a horse! 

Prince George's other godparents are:

Oliver Baker

Emilia Jardine-Paterson

Earl Grosvenor

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton

Julia Samuel

William van Cutsem

Princess Charlotte's godparents:

Princess Charlotte has five godparents. These include William and Kate's friends Sophie Carter and James Meade, along with William’s close friend Thomas van Straubenzee.

Princess Charlotte's other godparents are cousins from each side of the couple’s family. Prince William’s cousin Laura Fellowes, and Kate’s cousin Adam Middleton.

Prince Louis' godparents:

Given that his older siblings have a mix of family and friends as their godparents, it is likely the same approach will be used for Prince Louis. He probably won't have as many godparents as Prince George and will most likely have the same number or less than Princess Charlotte.

With that in mind, Princess Beatrice or Eugenie could be in the running - that's according to Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams who spoke to the Daily Express.

Jessica Bridge from Ladbrokes also told the Daily Express it's likely to be friends and close acquaintances over family. She said: ‘As with George and Charlotte, the Duke and Duchess chose close and trusted friends and aides, rather than immediate family members, and the odds suggest that will be the same with little Prince Louis.’

We can't wait to see the full Cambridge family out-and-about for the first time. Perhaps they'll finally give us the much-wanted portrait as a family of five!