Prince Charles is bringing back holy water from Jordan river for royal baptisms

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are currently carrying out a royal tour of Jordan, their first overseas visit since the coronavirus pandemic, and are bringing back a special gift for their family.

The couple arrived in Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday morning. On the first day of their tour of the Middle Eastern country, the duo visited Jordan River, where it is claimed Jesus was baptised. They flew to the important religious site in a helicopter and then walked down well-worn steps and a steep, pebbly path to the riverbed, where they stood silent for a few moments.

They were offered the honour of dipping their fingers in the water, as well as the permission to take some of it home. According to a report in Mail Online, the Prince of Wales is flying "five or six dozen bottles" of holy water taken from the river back to the UK for the baptisms of royal children.

Rustom Mkhjian, the Director General of the Baptism Site, confirmed, "You are absolutely right. This time the Embassy people asked for a few dozens [bottles] of Holy water and we provided them with five dozen, six dozen, prior to this trip."

When asked what the holy water will be used for, Mkhjian said, "I didn't know, I didn't want to ask. But they said we wanted it for children to be baptised later on. Future baptisms, yes."

Royal babies are always, by tradition, welcomed into the church with water from Jordan river, where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist using the ornate silver gilt Lily Font, which is now part of the Crown Jewels. The royal family has welcomed four babies this year who are waiting for their christenings.

Zara Tindall, Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter, welcomed her third child, son Lucas, with husband Mike Tindall in March this year. Princess Eugenie became a mother for the first time as she and her husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed their son August Philip Hawke in February this year. Eugenie's elder sister Beatrice also welcomed her first child, daughter Sienna, with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in September.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles's younger son and daughter-in-law Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet Diana, in the US in June this year. The toddler, who has been named after her paternal grandmother Princess Diana and paternal great-grandmother the Queen, is yet to meet the royal family.

However, it is rumoured that the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex have been wanting to hold her baptism in presence of the royals in the UK, which means Lilibet would also get to be baptised by the holy water her grandfather is bringing back from Jordan.