Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will keep the identity of baby Archie's godparents a secret, it has been announced. The two-month-old royal will be christened in an intimate ceremony in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday. But in a departure from traditional royal christenings, the names of his godparents will be kept strictly under wraps. In a statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed: "The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will christen baby Archie in a private ceremony
There has been a great deal of speculation as to who the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have selected. Serena Williams, currently playing at Wimbledon, has been tipped to be a godmother, along with Meghan's Canadian stylist friend Jessica Mulroney. However, the Church of England dictates that godparents themselves must first be baptised before they can take on the role, which would rule out both Jessica, who is of the Jewish faith, and Serena, who is a Jehovah's Witness. Other possible names in the hat include Lady Julia Fellowes, Princess Diana's older sister, who was one of the first to meet Archie; Harry's childhood friend Jake Warren, whose daughter Zalie was a bridesmaid at the couple's wedding; and Mark Dyer, Harry's childhood mentor, whose son Jasper is Harry's godson and was a pageboy at the nuptials.
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Little Archie Harrison was born on 6 May
Further details of the christening confirmed by the palace include the identity of the photographer chosen to capture sweet moments from the ceremony. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton,” the statement read. Chris was the photographer chosen to take snapshots of Harry and Meghan's wedding and the first images of the couple with their baby son.
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The intimate christening, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is set to take place in the private chapel inside Windsor Castle, rather than at St George's Chapel, where Harry and Meghan were married last year, and where Harry himself was christened in 1984. Archie's proud grandfather Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be among the guests, alongside Prince William and Duchess Kate, and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland. Archie’s great-grandmother the Queen is unable to attend because of a prior commitment. Her busy schedule meant she also missed the christening of Archie's cousin Prince Louis last year.
While Harry and Meghan have opted for a totally private christening, they have confirmed they will release images taken at the ceremony the following day. It is not known whether or not the new photos will give the public their first proper look at the royal baby, but little Archie will be joining his parents in Africa on the royal tour this autumn, giving fans the chance to get a real insight into the family of three.