Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will not have their daughter Lilibet Diana baptized in Windsor, as originally planned, but should have changed their plans without further ado.
Prince Harry, 36, and Duchess Meghan, 40, originally planned to have their daughter Lilibet Diana, born 2 months ago, baptized in Windsor in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, 95. But the plan promised to be difficult to implement right from the start and would have put the Queen in a difficult situation. The royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams now reveals in an interview with the British newspaper “Express” that Harry and Meghan “want to do things in their own way”.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan: Secret baptism of Lilibet Diana planned in the USA
Richard Fitzwilliams says the couple will celebrate the christening of Lilibet Diana in the US: “It seems certain that Lilibet’s christening will take place in Meghan’s home state.” The private ceremony will be held in strict secrecy, the insider said. The Duke and The Duchess of Sussex, who currently live in the posh town of Montecito near Santa Barbara, California, are currently on parental leave after welcoming their baby in June. Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that the couple were hoping to meet Lilibet in Windsor before The royal biographer Angela Levin says that Prince Harry put the Queen in a “difficult position” with this wish, because the Queen rarely attends baptisms, according to Levin.
Duchess Meghan was baptized shortly before her wedding in England
Meghan herself was known to be baptized during a private ceremony shortly before her wedding to Prince Harry in Great Britain. Although Meghan attended a Catholic high school, she was baptized and confirmed in the Church of England in a private ceremony at the Chapel Royal under the direction of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Held by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Chapel Royal in 2018, the intimate 45-minute service was a closely guarded secret involving only a handful of royal aides.
Much criticism for Archie’s baptism in secrecy
Meanwhile, Lili’s brother Archie Mountbatten Windsor was baptized by the Archbishop, 2, 2019 in unprecedented secrecy at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The 25 invited guests – incidentally, the Queen was not one of them – came discreetly through a back entrance. Although details of the royal babies’ godparents have always been released in the past, Harry and Meghan strictly refused to disclose the names of Archie’s godparents. The godparents of royal babies are traditionally announced in advance – often on the morning of christening. The couple faced significant backlash for insisting that the 25-person ceremony be kept private and that the identity of Archie’s godparents would not be revealed at the time. Chelmsford Dean Nicholas Henshall previously told the BBC: “Baptism should never be private. It is a public demonstration of God’s love.” The couple have not yet published a photo of their daughter Lili. A decision that also shows that Harry and Meghan handle things in their own way, the way they like it.
Sources used: Daily Mail, Express