Prince Harry and Meghan reveal they have christened daughter ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’ in intimate Californian ceremony – as couple’s friend Omid Scobie claims ‘King Charles and William were invited – but didn’t come’
- Duke and Duchess of Sussex hosted christening at their home in Montecito
- Charles, Camilla, William and Kate were invited but didn’t attend, it’s claimed
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter has been christened ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’ in a small ceremony at their home in California, it was revealed today.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hosted the religious ceremony last Friday which was carried out by the Bishop of Los Angeles, the Reverend John Taylor.
The couple’s spokesman said: ‘I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.’
It is the first time Lili has been publicly referred to as princess.
Buckingham Palace currently refers to Lilibet as ‘Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor’ – but its website will now be updated to call the the children Prince and Princess.
The title is in line with the precedent created by letters patent issued by George V in 1917 which conferred Prince or Princess on male line grandchildren of the Sovereign.
A photograph issued by Archewell of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, after celebrating her first birthday in June last year
It is understood 21-month-old Lili’s title of princess and Archie’s title as a prince will be used in formal settings, but not in everyday conversational use by the couple.
They have been entitled to be used since the accession to the throne of King Charles last September – and the Sussexes have now chosen to do this.
At the time of the late Queen’s death, a spokesman for the King had pledged to update Archie and Lilibet’s names on the website ‘as and when we get information’.
Read Related Also: The Worst-Dressed Celebs At The 2023 ACM Awards
The couple’s statement referred to Reverend Taylor as the Archbishop of Los Angeles – but he is actually the Bishop of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church in the US, which is part of the global Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Los Angeles is the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, who leads the US’s largest Catholic community.
The first picture of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Lilibet was released in a Christmas card on December 23, 2021
Royal journalist Omid Scobie, who is close to the Sussexes, reported that ‘King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate were invited but didn’t attend’. It is not known whether any other Royal Family members were present.
People magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and Lilibet’s godfather Tyler Perry.
The filmmaker had been spotted paying a visit to Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home last Friday and at a airport in Los Angeles where he boarded his private jet.
Harry and Meghan are thought to be keen to not deny their children their birthright, but to allow them the chance to decide for themselves when older whether to drop or keep using the titles.
Tyler Perry at a Los Angeles airport last Friday, on the day he attended Lilibet’s christening
Meghan said in the couple’s bombshell interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race.
However, when Archie was born seventh in line to the throne in May 2019, he was too far down the line of succession.
Although he was a great-grandchild of the monarch, he was not a first-born son of a future king, so was not automatically a prince.
The news comes as it was revealed Camilla’s brother-in-law Simon Elliot, with whom the Queen Consort was very close, died last week.
