Queen Camilla has welcomed Princess Charlotte’s godfather to a special ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Thomas van Straubenzee joined dignitaries to observe the unveiling of the Foundation Stone for the new King Charles III Sacristy at the historic church.
Van Straubenzee, a close friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is a partner and Global Head of Private Office of international real estate consultancy.
He was named the godfather of Prince William and Princess Kate second child, daughter Charlotte, 10.
The Queen met with Princess Charlotte’s godfather, Thomas van Straubenzee, during the engagement.
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Van Straubenzee attended prep school with William, joining him at Ludgrove School in Berkshire
The royal couple also introduced him to his second wife Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe – who taught Princess Charlotte at St Thomas’s Battersea.
The elite estate agent also joined William and Prince George to watch their football club, Aston Villa, take on French team Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last month.
During the event, the Queen joined the Duke of Buccleuch in removing a red cloth to reveal the engraved stone.
Van Straubenzee joined Prince William and his son, Prince George, to watch Aston Villa play.
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“This foundation stone was laid by her majesty Queen Camilla, May 14, 2025,” it has been confirmed.
Upon revealing the engraving, the queen said: “I just want to say how delighted I am to unveil this foundation stone. I can’t believe that last time I visited here that there is now a floor, last time I came, there were quite a lot of skeletons.”
Humouring the delighted crowd, Camilla added: “It was quite spooky, wasn’t it?”
The Sacristy, the room where priests prepare for services and where vestments are kept, is being constructed on the north side of the Abbey, on the footprint of a medieval building.
During excavations, workers uncovered the remains of monks, which temporarily halted construction.
The queen unveiled the engraved foundation of Westminster Abbey’s new Sacristy.
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The Queen expressed her ambitions for the project’s completion, adding: “I just hope that in 2026, when it is due to finish, that God willing, my husband and I will be back here again to open the King Charles III Sacristy.”
Also among the guests at the ceremony was television presenter Alan Titchmarsh, who serves as ambassador for the project.
The Queen greeted him warmly with a kiss, saying: “Hello Alan, it’s either in the garden or at Westminster Abbey – and Chelsea next week. As ever, it’s lovely to see you.”
The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, High Steward of the Abbey, delivered an address highlighting the rarity of such occasions.
Queen Camilla welcomed guests including TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh.
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He told the Queen: “The unveiling of a foundation stone [at the Abbey] by a member of the Royal Family has been recorded only on two occasions.”
The first was when King Henry III unveiled the foundation stone 805 years ago, with King Charles doing the same while serving as the Prince of Wales in 2016.
The Queen was escorted to the site by the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, and members of the Chapter.
Her sister Annabel Elliot joined Her Majesty for this significant occasion.
After the service, the Queen toured the Abbey to meet staff members from various departments. She paused to admire the recently updated memorial to the Brontë sisters, where the distinctive dots over the ‘e’ had been restored.
