Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's adorable son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, was born
back in May 2019.
He's grown his own fan base since then, but even the most loyal of fans don't know everything
about the royal tyke.
One bit of information that has been kept private until recently is who Archie's godparents
are.
Baby Archie was christened last July, but his parents decided to keep his godparents
a secret, in breaking with royal tradition.
The decision was met with backlash.
Princess Diana's former secretary, Patrick Jephson, told Vanity Fair:
"A christening is a sacred, precious, family event and if Harry and Meghan want privacy
that should be ok with the rest of us.
But a christening is also a public declaration of faith and in the Church of England godparents
are a matter of public record.
So to make a point of denying the public even a respectful glimpse looks either naïve or
manipulative, an odd way to protect the godparents, or indeed wee Archie."
"Mm, that stings."
While royal christenings are typically public affairs, Archie's was shrouded in secrecy.
His parents released some photos after the event, but the actual christening was performed
privately with only 25 guests.
A source told Vanity Fair:
"Harry and Meghan don't want Archie to be in the media spotlight, they want him to have
an ordinary childhood.
This is their way of making the point that Archie is a private citizen and they are starting
as they mean to go on."
The fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were so determined to give Archie a normal
life and keep him out of the limelight might have been a clue that Megxit was coming.
When the couple announced that they were stepping back from their duties as senior royals a
few months later, they hinted that giving Archie a life away from the spotlight was
one of their goals in splitting their time between North America and the UK.
The couple said in a statement, via Vogue, quote, "This geographic balance will enable
us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born,
while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter."
Vanity Fair speculated at the time of Archie's christening that among his godparents, of
whom royals typically have at least five, would be Markle's friends Lindsay Roth and
Genevieve Hillis, and Prince Harry's friend and mentor Mark Dyer.
The Sunday Times recently revealed that Dyer is, indeed, one of Archie's godparents.
Prince Harry and Prince William's nanny, Tiggy Pettifer, is also one of Archie's godparents.
A source told E! News:
"They were both constants in Harry's childhood and beyond.
They are fascinating choices of figures in Harry's life that he will hope may keep Archie
rooted somehow in the UK, as they relocate to North America."
Prince Harry and his one-time nanny remain quite close.
According to The Sun, the royal introduced Pettifer to Meghan Markle after their engagement.
In January 2018, a source told the outlet, quote, "Harry couldn't wait to introduce Meghan
to Tiggy.
Although the two women are very different, they got on famously."
Pettifer was reportedly there for Prince Harry and Prince William when they learned of the
tragic passing of their mother, Princess Diana, and comforted the boys in the aftermath of
their devastating loss.
There was speculation in early 2018 that Pettifer might be named one of Prince Louis' godparents,
although Business Insider later reported that Pettifer was not among his godmothers.
Prince Harry's friend, Charlie van Straubenzee, is another one of Archie's godparents.
While it is likely the young royal has more godparents, only Pettifer, Dyer, and van Straubenzee
have been confirmed so far.
Like Pettifer, baby Archie's godfathers, Mark Dyer and Charlie van Straubenzee, are also
very close to the family.
The Sunday Times reported that Dyer is a former equerry, aka personal attendant, to Prince
Charles, and also became a close friend and mentor to both Prince Harry and Prince Charles.
Van Straubenzee, according to People, is a childhood friend of Prince Harry.
They met at Ludgrove Prep School, and van Straubenzee has been a close friend of Prince
Harry ever since.
Van Straubenzee is also good friends with Prince William, and his older brother, Thomas
Van Straubenzee, is one of Princess Charlotte's godparents.
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