Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first-born, Archie, will be baptised on Saturday.
The christening of the nearly two-month-old with a name that's quite the mouthful, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, will be a private affair, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
Royal admirers stretching their neck for a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their baby - as they had with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - are likely to be disappointed, reports E! News.
But a royal expert reportedly said: “It is not that different as all royal christenings are private. It really should not matter to the public, although the tabloid press will wander into the conversation and criticise the couple for their decision to have the christening at the private chapel in Windsor Castle.”
While there may be some mumbling in the ranks, Harry and Meghan have so far proven to run their lives their way. Meghan’s own baptism ahead of her wedding to Harry was a private ceremony, they’ve kept the baby’s birth details under wraps, and the couple released a few images of Archie.
Nor is this the first private royal baptism as Prince Andrew and Prince Edward’s baptisms were private.
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A post shared by Meghan Markle(@hrhofsussex) on Jul 1, 2019 at 12:52pm PDT
While the royal couple lead a public life, they reportedly consider their son to be a “private citizen” and feel strongly about “shielding” him.
However, the palace has confirmed that Meghan and Harry “look forward to sharing some images” taken on the day when the Archbishop of Canterbury will baptise Archie in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The identity of the godparents will also remain private, amid debunked rumours that the couple’s friends, actor George Clooney and his lawyer wife, Amal, would fulfill this function.