Fans of the royal family have been eagerly awaiting news about the christening of Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Lilibet Diana. Most royal babies are christened in
the Church of England, but since Meghan and Harry's exit from the royal family in early
2020, the plans have seemingly been up in the air, as noted by Page Six. On October
11th, a palace source told The Telegraph that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided
not to christen their little girl in England, despite originally wanting to. The insider
told the outlet,
"There will not be a christening in the U.K. It is not happening."
A second source told the publication that it is "highly unlikely" that Meghan and Harry
will hold the christening overseas.
Meghan and Harry's oldest child, son Archie, was christened at Windsor Castle. The ceremony
was officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Welby also performed Meghan
and Harry's wedding ceremony in 2018, as well as baptized Meghan and confirmed her into
the Church of England.
Rumors that Prince William is the sole reason Lilibet will not be brought to England for
her christening have been flying. So, the Sussexes decided to speak out publicly about
the speculation.
This week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a statement about Lilibet Diana's
upcoming christening through their rep. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a point to
dispel the rumors that little Lili won't be christened in the U.K., but made no new announcement
and confirmed no details about the plans for the event. Their spokesperson told E! News,
"Plans for the baby's christening have not been finalized. And as such, any assumptions
about what will or will not take place are mere speculation."
Meanwhile, Meghan has yet to return to the U.K. since exiting the royal family in 2020.
For his part, Harry has returned home on two occasions. In April, he made a quick trip
home to attend the funeral for his grandfather, Prince Philip. He came back again in July
when he and his older brother Prince William unveiled a statue in honor of their late mother,
Princess Diana, as noted by ELLE.
Royal expert Russell Myers previously revealed that Meghan returning home for the christening
of Lilibet could prove to be very awkward for the royal family. Myers told "Today" in
July,
"Meghan isn't flavor of the month with the family. Certainly, the family has always said
they will be much-loved members of the family. However, we're still talking about the fallout
of the Oprah Winfrey interview."
Only time will tell what the plans actually end up being.
The christening of little Lilibet may seem unimportant to some, but for Lilibet, it's
incredibly important. While she's a baby now and doesn't currently possess the willpower
or independence to make her own choices regarding her living situation or any potential involvement
in the royal family, she may as an adult want to grow roots in the royal family and become
closer to Prince Harry's side of the family. This might be harder if she's not christened
in the United Kingdom.
According to The Telegraph, Lilibet won't be a "member" of the Church of England, despite
the rest of her family belonging to the church, if she's not christened in Britain. What's
more, Queen Elizabeth holds the title of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church
of England. She's a figurehead of the church, and who's to say that Lilibet won't be further
ostracized from Harry's family if she's christened in the United States?
Lilibet's christening will directly impact her future, but the decision ultimately falls
on Meghan Markle and Harry — and we have to respect it.
If baby Lilibet is christened in the United States, the familial implications may appear
immediately. According to Cosmopolitan, a royal expert revealed it's "unlikely" that
royal family members would fly to the States to attend Lilibet's christening. Furthermore,
Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer, told The Sun,
"If Lilibet is christened in America, maybe Harry's friends would fly out. I don't think
any members of the immediate royal family would have time."
Apparently, royal family members' schedules are "organized six months in advance."
If true, the occasion could feel slightly hollow, with less family in attendance to
make the christening feel special and celebratory. Still, Steward isn't convinced that the christening
will occur in the United States, so there may not be any reason to worry. She told The
Sun she'd be "very surprised" if it took place "stateside," adding that the queen would no
doubt let the christening happen in Britain if Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wanted it
there. Steward continued,
"The queen is not going to say no, she may not be able to be there herself but she's
not going to say they can't have it there. The only reason [it wouldn't be held in the
U.K.] would be if Meghan didn't want to come over here with the baby."
Ultimately, the decision lands back in Meghan and Harry's palms, and we're no closer to
knowing which country will host Lilibet's christening. Some believe that the issues
surrounding the christening will feature in Harry's forthcoming memoir, but that's all
we can really speculate about at the moment. In either case, we just hope the event goes
well for everyone involved.
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