Baby Archie’s christening date has been revealed as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opt for private ceremony

Publish Date
Monday, 1 July 2019, 10:00AM

It's set to be one of the biggest events in the royal calendar this year!

But, much to the dismay of royal fans, the public will not get to witness Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's christening - which is set to take place on Saturday, exactly two months after Archie was born on May 6.

Despite having funded the couple's wedding, reportedly costing as much as £40 million, as well as the £2.4 million revamp of Frogmore cottage, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have opted for "a private media-free christening" as they want to keep their son a "private citizen."

This means no fan gatherings, and more importantly, no candid photos of Archie outside.

Which royal biographer, Penny Junor, believes is "a mistake."

"They can’t have it both ways. Either they are totally private, pay for their own house and disappear out of view or play the game the way it is played," she said.

"Seeing Archie and his godparents arriving at the christening is what people are interested in."

And it seems that the public is in agreement, taking to Twitter to share their disappointment over the couple's decision.

One wrote: "Wrong move - if the Sussexes want Archie to be a 'private citizen' then they should have paid for their own house and disappear from public life altogether."

Another agreed saying: "All this 'we want privacy but happy to be funded by taxpayers' is doing my head in!"

"Please explain why the public are paying tax to the Sussexes to continue dictating a private life at our expense? If they want a private life we shouldn't be paying for them," a third tweeted the palace directly.

Their decision will come as a break in tradition after Prince William and Kate Middleton invited media to attend the christening of all three of their children - Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one - keeping only the ceremony itself private.

It's expected his first ceremony will be a "very small gathering".

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However, while senior members of the royal family, such as his grandad Prince Charles, uncle Prince William and aunt Kate Middleton, are expected to be front and centre on the day, the Queen apparently won’t be in attendance.

According to The Sun, the Queen has prior engagements that day, which she has already committed her time to.

The new parents have chosen St George's Chapel in Windsor for their son's christening.

The chapel has a special significance for the Duke and Duchess, as it is the same place where the couple tied the knot last May.

It is also the same chapel where Prince Harry was baptised at three-months-old, back in 1984.

The ceremony is expected to follow royal tradition and six-week-old Archie will wear a replica of the Honiton lace gown which was first commissioned by Queen Victoria for her first daughter Princess Victoria's christening in 1841.

The gown was worn by 62 royal babies - including Harry and William - until the Queen decided it was too fragile and a replica was made.

The service will likely be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, the Rev David Conner and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Rumours surrounding who Archie's godparents could be include names such as Meghan's best friend, Jessica Mulroney, American designer Misha Nonoo and Harry's friends from school, Alexander Gilkes and Jake Warren.

While there will be no pictures from the press on the day, Harry and Meghan are expected to release one on their official Instagram account.

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