Battling a broken arm Prince William first became a Godfather at the tender age of 16 – now he looks set to make Hugh Grosvenor’s baby godchild number four!
Prince William was godfather for much of his life, long before he became a husband, a father or the Prince of Wales.
The Prince is known to have been godfather three, perhaps four times, and many of his friends bestowed this honor on the future king.
His first comeback came at the age of just 16, when he proudly stood at the christening of Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece, his arm in a sling after a rugby injury.
William was one of many royals on the list of Constantine’s high-profile godparents, sharing the position with the King of Spain and the future queen of Denmark and Sweden.
Today, Constantine is all grown up, flamboyant and a firm part of society, while William watches silently from a distance.
William later became godfather again, this time to Tom Pettifer, the son of his beloved childhood nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke.
Unlike the Greek prince, Tom grew up far from royal palaces, but once stole hearts as a cheeky butler at William and Kate’s wedding.
Another familiar face from William’s godfather circle is Grace van Cutsem, forever remembered as the little girl who covered her ears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2011.
The Prince of Wales is known to have been godfather three, perhaps four times, and numerous of his friends bestowed this honor on the future king.
His first comeback came at the age of just 16, when he proudly stood at the christening of Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece, his arm in a sling after a rugby injury.
The daughter of one of William’s closest childhood friends, Grace returned to a quiet life after being thrust into the spotlight.
Now an adolescent, he remains part of the trusted inner circle that followed William from childhood to future king.
And the list may not be finished yet.
Royal watchers are abuzz with rumors that William may soon become a godfather once again, this time to Cosima Grosvenor, the younger daughter of his close friend Hugh Grosvenor.
If confirmed, it would underline a pattern William has followed since his teenage years, in which godchildren are chosen for deep family ties and lifelong bonds, not for vanity.
CONSTANTINE ALEXIOS OF GREECE
Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s most eligible bachelors, thanks to his dashing appearance, dating history, title and ties to high society.
The 27-year-old actor was the late King II. He is the grandson of Constantine and the eldest son and second child of Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece.
Constantine is related to the British Royal Family through the late Prince Philip, who was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, and his grandfather, the late King Constantine, is William’s godfather.
Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s most eligible bachelors, thanks to his dashing appearance, dating history, title and ties to high society.
He was baptized in London in 1999, six months after he was born, with fresh-faced 16-year-old William standing proudly as godfather.
Constantine, who used the pseudonym Tino as an adult, pursued a career as a model, painter and sculptor (Image: The Prince’s last Instagram post in July 2025)
He was christened in London in 1999, six months after he was born, with a fresh-faced 16-year-old William standing proudly as godfather.
At the ceremony, the future king wrapped his arm in a sling after breaking his finger during a rugby match, serving as a cute reminder that boys will be boys, no matter their status.
Young William was seated next to King Frederik of Denmark, who was the nephew of Constantine’s grandmother, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.
Prince Constantine’s other godparents include current kings, King Felipe of Spain and King Frederik, as well as the future queen, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
The Greek royal family no longer has a claim to the throne, as the country’s monarchy was abolished in 1973, but King Henry II. Constantine’s descendants retained their courtesy titles, represented the nation, and continued to be part of royal circles.
The prince spent a quiet childhood away from the limelight, between London and New York, with his older sister, Princess Maria-Olympia, and his three younger brothers.
Constantine, who used the pseudonym Tino as an adult, pursued a career as a model, painter and sculptor, similar to his mother, an American socialite who once interned for Andy Warhol and studied art at university.
The young royal has even modeled for Christian Dior and has been linked to a number of models and actresses, including Poppy Delevingne, Brooks Nader and Madelyn Cline.
TOM PETTIFER
Little is known about William’s godson, Tom Pettifer, who spent most of his life away from the public eye; But royal fans may recognize her face.
Tom is the son of Harry and William’s beloved childhood nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, and her husband, security consultant Charles Pettifer.
Tiggy was Prince William and Harry’s nanny from 1993 to 1999 and has maintained a close relationship with both brothers.
William is the boy’s godfather, now 23, while Harry’s godson is Tom’s older brother Fred, 24.
At the age of eight, Tom wowed audiences at the 2011 wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, where he worked as a page boy.
The teenager giggled and grinned cheekily alongside fellow butler William Lowther-Pinkerton and her bridesmaids, Lady Louise Windsor and Margarita Armstrong-Jones.
At the age of eight, Tom (centre) wowed onlookers at the 2011 wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, where he worked as a page boy.
Tiggy Pettifer and son Tom Pettifer attended Prince Harry’s wedding
She got into one of the official cars with Harry and beamed as she waved undisturbed to the huge crowd surrounding Westminster Abbey.
Tom looked much older years later when he attended Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding alongside Tiggy in 2018.
Like his mother, Tom spent most of his youth in Wales; he went to school here and learned to speak Welsh.
GRACE VAN CUTSEM
Another familiar face is Grace van Cutsem, who became the unlikely star of William and Kate’s 2011 wedding.
The then three-year-old stole the show during the Prince and Princess’ kiss on the balcony, frowning as he covered his ears to shield them from the roaring crowds and noisy RAF flights.
Grace is the daughter of William’s childhood friend Hugh van Cutsem and Lady Rose Astor, whose family has been close to the royal family for decades.
The Van Cutsems have long maintained close friendships within the Palace; Hugh’s late father was one of King Charles’s oldest friends, and his grandfather, Bernard van Cutsem, was a horse breeder and racehorse trainer for Queen Elizabeth II. He was breeding horses for Elizabeth.
Despite her early introduction to worldwide attention, Grace began hiding her identity shortly after the wedding and now, aged 17, she lives a normal life in Oxfordshire with her parents and two younger brothers.
He seems close to his mother, Rose, who wrote a post for him. Times about the couple’s luxurious ‘mother-daughter detox’ at an Austrian health resort to escape their ‘male-dominated home’.
Grace van Cutsem stole the show during the Prince and Princess of Wales’ balcony kiss
Grace is the daughter of William’s childhood friend Hugh van Cutsem and Lady Rose Astor, whose family has been close to the royal family for decades.
Despite her initial exposure to worldwide attention, Grace began hiding her identity shortly after the wedding and now, at 17, she lives a normal life with her parents and two younger brothers.
Rose is part of the Astor dynasty, whose fortune was established in 18th-century America when John Jacob Astor, the first multimillionaire in the United States, traded otter and beaver pelts.
The Astors moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1890s and soon took possession of Cliveden, which is now run as a five-star hotel, and Hever Castle, which was sold to a private real estate company and is now run as a visitor attraction, wedding venue and hostelry.
The Astors’ real estate portfolio is even more impressive in New York, where the Astor name appears on the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Astor Place and Astor Boulevard in the Bronx, where the family used to have a horse stable.
The Astoria neighborhood of Queens also bears the family’s name, and Rose said she feels “lucky” to have such a richly textured family history.
COSIMA GROSVENOR
British aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor welcomed his first child, Cosima, with his wife Olivia Henson in July this year.
There has been no word on who the girl’s godfather will be, but many royal fans suspect she could be William’s fourth godchild.
On July 27, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster released an official statement announcing the birth of Cosima Florence.
‘Both the Duchess and Cosima are doing well. ‘The Duke and Duchess are now looking forward to spending this special time together as a family,’ it read.
Hugh is one of the world’s youngest billionaires, with an estimated net worth of close to £10bn, and is a friend of both William and Harry.
He is not only the godson of King Charles, but also the godfather of William’s first son, Prince George, and Harry’s son Archie.
The long line of godparents within the families suggests to royal watchers that the role of five-month-old Cosima may be given to William.
Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Grosvenor leaving Chester Cathedral after their wedding
Prince William attends the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson’s wedding at Chester Cathedral
Friends of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster say they have not made a final decision on who Cosima’s godparents will be, but it is understood William will be her godfather. Sunday Times.
But the new dad is reportedly considering whether to ask Prince Harry too, amid ongoing tensions between him and the Royal Family since the Sussexes headed to California and gave up their senior royal family positions in 2020.
Both siblings are believed to have sent their congratulations to the couple following the birth of their daughter on July 27. A date for the christening ceremony has not yet been set.
