Tales of the Lily Font Trivia Quiz

Answer: Baptism

While Christian churches practice baptism, a sacrament that is used for purification and admission into the Christian faith, there is no agreement as to which type of font should be used. According to the Church of England website, "churchofenglandchristenings.org", baptisms are also called christenings and can involve people of any age - from infants to adults.

The website also states that "water that is blessed in the church's font will be poured...." This type of baptism, where water is poured over the head, is called affusion.

There is no prescribed shape or material for a font; as with the Lily Font, it typically has a pedestal with a bowl on top that is used for holding the holy water.

Answer: Victoria

The Lily Font was commissioned by Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, who also helped with the design of the font. According to information given on the "Royal Collection Trust" website, it was ordered from the firm of E. & W. Smith, who then subcontracted Edward Barnard and Sons to complete the project.

It was to be ready for use by February 10, 1841, at a ceremony that was to be held in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

Answer: Princess Royal

The title "Princess Royal" is one that is given, but not automatically, by the British monarch to his or her oldest daughter. To date, there have been seven Princess Royals since 1642, when Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I and daughter of the King of France, wished to emulate the French practice, in which the title "Madame Royale" was given to the oldest daughter. Princess Mary, who eventually was part of the famous couple, William III and Mary II, was the first to hold the title. The oldest daughter of Victoria and Albert, who was named Victoria, was the first Princess Royal, however, to use the Lily Font. Today Anne, the daughter of Elizabeth II, is the Princess Royal; Elizabeth did not hold the title because her aunt, Princess Mary, held the title at the time.

Answer: Tower of London

Today the Lily Font is part of the collection known as the Crown Jewels, which has been kept in a vault called the Jewel House in the Tower of London since the reign of Henry III. Traditionally the Crown Jewels have represented the monarch's freedom from control by the nobles; if the monarch needed money, something could be sold from the Jewel House.

Unfortunately, many precious items were ordered destroyed by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War; by the time of the Restoration it was said that only a spoon and three swords remained.

Some items had been sold rather than broken and melted down and were eventually recovered. Sources state that the Lily Font has only left London once during its history, however, it is believed that it was kept at Windsor Castle until its use by Princess Elizabeth in 1926.

Answer: Silver Gilt

Objects made of silver gilt are typically constructed with pure silver or sterling, and then gilded with gold. This type of construction makes the object look as if it were made of gold, but causes the item to be more durable, as gold is easily scratched or damaged.

It also makes it less necessary to constantly polish and clean, as it does not tarnish as easily as pure or sterling silver. In addition, the cost is much less and the object looks like it was made of solid gold! As gilt objects are used and the gold wears off, regilding may take place to restore the original beauty. "Vermeil" is a term used by the French to describe the gilding process, which can also be used to produce gilt bronze.

Answer: Restoration

The baptism of Victoria and Albert's second child, their oldest son, Albert, is shown in the picture. At his baptism, the Lily Font was used, but it was placed on top of the 1660 Font, which was measured with a total height of 37 inches during the reign of George III.

Although it was probably used by other members of the royal family, its first authenticated use was at the 1737 baptism of Princess Augusta, who was the daughter of Frederick Louis, the Prince of Wales. There is no doubt, however, that the font was made for the Stuarts; the royal arms of the Stuarts are engraved inside the bowl and the cypher of Charles II is found on the foot. Also made of silver gilt, records indicate that it has been re-gilt several times.

Answer: Purity

Symbolism that is associated with the lily goes back to the time of ancient Greece; there it was associated with birth and motherhood. Christians believe the lily to be a symbol of chastity, purity, piety, and innocence. The white lily has long been a symbol of the Virgin Mary; not only the flower itself, but parts of the flower are significant. For example, the stem represents Mary's religiously faithful mind, and the scent represents her divinity. Water lilies are also associated with new life.

Answer: Cherubs

Taken from the Latin "putus" for boy or child, the Italian "putto" is a figure that is used in art, typically depicted as a naked male child - sometimes with wings. Often called a cherub or cupid, in ancient classical art the figure was believed to hold sway over human lives; in Renaissance art it was pictured as the gods Eros or Cupid, a guardian spirit called a "genius", or a "daemon" or messenger spirit. With both earthly and religious connotations, putti are associated with peace, prosperity, Heaven, and romantic love.

The base of the Lily Font is decorated with three putti playing lyres.

Answer: Sandringham House

On July 5, 2015, Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was baptized in St. Mary Magdalene Church on Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate. Originally purchased by Queen Victoria in 1862 for her son, who became Edward VII, by 1865 it was decided that the first home was too small; the present home was constructed at that time. Sandringham House is privately owned by the royal family, and the Queen uses it as her base from the Christmas holiday season to February. Anmer Hall, which is also located on the Sandringham estate, is said to have been a wedding present to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and has been a residence of their family since 2013.

Answer: Princess Eugenie

According to an article in "People", written on January 24, 1991, Princess Eugenie's baptism did not compare in many ways to other royal baptisms. While most are christened when they are four months old at a private service held at either Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, Eugenie was nine months old and was christened at a public service.

At the time Prince Andrew, her father, was a naval flight commander, so there apparently were scheduling conflicts that pushed her service back a bit. Eugenie did, however, wear the Honiton lace robe, believed to have been worn by every royal baby since Prince Albert, the oldest son of Queen Victoria.

The article made a point of noting that Eugenie cried - even louder than the organ played - during the service, which was held at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate at a public worship on December 23, 1990.

It must have been some crush for the relatively small church - it has 130 seats - to hold the members of the royal family who were present as well as the regular parishioners. Apparently there are two fonts at the church - one is considered to be its oldest relic - a Greek font that was made in the 9th century; the other, a Florentine marble font, is the one described as being used in Eugenie's baptism.

Other notables who were baptized with the same font include George VI, and Princess Diana.