Princess Lilibet Diana, Harry and Meghan's daughter, was christened on Friday March 3 in Los Angeles. Photo / Misan Harriman
Princess Lilibet Diana, Harry and Meghan's daughter, was christened on Friday March 3 in Los Angeles. Photo / Misan Harriman
King Charles reportedly snubbed an invitation to the christening of the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which it’s been revealed took place in California last Friday.
It comes as the Sussexes mull whether they will go to the King’s coronation in May.
Harry and Meghan said their21-month-old was christened “Princess Lilibet Diana” in their home town of Montecito, on the coast north of Los Angeles.
It is the first time Lilibet has been referred to as a princess.
A spokesman for the royal pair confirmed to the US’ People magazine that the ceremony took place last week.
“Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor,” a statement said.
Awkwardly, the young princess was not actually christened by the “Archbishop of Los Angeles”. That title is reserved for the head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, José Horacio Gómez.
Rather, Lilibet’s religious service was performed by the Bishop of Los Angeles, John Taylor, who heads the far smaller Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, part of the Anglican Communion.
The magazine was told the ceremony was an “intimate gathering” albeit reportedly with a 10-person gospel choir that flew in from Atlanta.
The 20 to 30 guests included Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and Lilibet’s godfather, actor and entrepreneur Tyler Perry.
Harry, Meghan, Lilibet and Archie at Frogmore Cottage. Photo / Netflix
There was an “afternoon of food and dancing,” said People, which included “Archie enjoying a dance with his little sister”.
But there were some notable guests missing.
“King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate were invited but didn’t attend,” The Daily Mail reported royal commentator Omid Scobie, who is close to the Sussexes, as saying.
It’s not known if any other royals were present. Harry and Meghan are friendly with princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the children of the Duke and Duchess of York.
The couple have now chosen to use the formal terms “princess” and “prince” for Lilibet and Archie – as they are entitled to do so – but reportedly will not refer to the titles in everyday use.
Buckingham Palace confirmed to the BBC the royal family website would “be updated in due course” to reflect Archie and Lilibet’s new titles.
Prior to the Queen’s death, the Sussexes were not able to call their children prince and princess. But the King’s accession has moved the family up the royal chain. According to regulations set out in 1917 they are now close enough to the throne for their children to use the terms.
They won’t be “their royal highnesses,” however. Harry and Meghan were forced to drop the “HRH” titles after they split with the rest of the royals.
In the couple’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said she did not have any attachment to the “grandeur” of official titles.
But last year it was reported the couple were now “very, very keen to cling on to those royal titles”.
“After much deliberation, Meghan decided that the titles would be a good thing, not just for her but for both her children, too,” said royal commentator Neil Sean in UK newspaper the Mirror.
King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, were notably absent at the christening of Prince Harry and Meghan,'s daughter, the now Princes Lilibet Diana. Photo / AP
Invitations are all the rage for the royals right now; several have weaved their way between Windsor and California.
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