The date of baby Archie’s christening has finally been revealed, along with more details of what we can expect from the very special occasion.
According to Hello!‘s royal correspondent Emily Nash, Archie’s christening is set for the July 6th, which also happens to mark the exact day Archie turns two-months old!
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also said to be planning an incredibly intimate gathering at a Windsor Castle chapel, with no more than 25 people in attendance.
The chapel has been tipped to be St George’s Chapel, the very same venue the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot a little over a year ago, and also the location where Prince Harry was christened in 1984.
Prince Henry’s (aka Harry) christening portrait taken in 1984. From left: The Queen Mother, The Queen, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Diana and Prince Charles. (Image: Getty)
While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously allowed the media to be present outside the ceremony venue for the baptisms of their three children, reports have indicated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are opting to keep all aspects of Saturday’s baptism private – releasing images to the public following the occasion.
Guests expected to be in attendance include Archie’s grandparents, Charles, The Prince of Wales and Duchess Camilla, and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland is expected to be flying in from Los Angeles to witness her first grandchild’s baptism.
Other guests likely to be in attendance include those chosen to be Archie’s godparents, with tennis legend Serena Williams and Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney tipped for the special roles.
Hello! also guesses Harry’s mentor, Mark Dyer, is in the running for the role of godparent along with the royal couple’s close friend Markus Anderson, who is director of Soho House.
However there’s one very significant family member who won’t be able to make it – The Queen.
Unfortunately, due to prior commitments Archie’s great-grandmother isn’t able to attend his special day, having also missed the baptism for Archie’s cousin, Prince Louis, a year ago.
As is tradition the christening is likely to be overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archie will no doubt be sporting the traditional Honiton lace replica christening gown. The original gown was worn by Queen Victoria’s first child, Princess Victoria in 1841, and has since been handed down throughout the generations for the baptisms of royal family members.
At almost 180 years old, it’s no wonder a replica had to be created. The original gown was worn up until 2008 and saw the baptism of 62 royal babies including five future monarchs as well as Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Baby Archie is expected to wear the very same gown worn by his cousins George, Charlotte and Louis (pictured) for his christening. (Image: Getty)
With the special occasion just days away, we can’t wait to get another glimpse of baby Archie!
Since his birth we’ve had just two sightings of the royal bub – the first during his press call where he was introduced to the world just two days after his birth and the second, an adorable photo of him clinging onto his father’s finger, in a post shared to Instagram to mark Father’s Day in the UK in June.
