It wouldn’t be a royal occassion if there wasn’t a bit of drama. And the christening of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lilibet Diana, seems to be no exception. Soon after a royal baby’s birth, it is common for them to be seen cradled in their parents’ arms at a public appearance. However, Lilibet has not made her public debut yet since her birth in California in the month of June this year.
Now that Lilibet has crossed the age at which her older brother, Archie, was christened, reports say that Markle and Prince Harry are making plans for her christening to take place at Windsor Castle. This would mark Lilibet’s debut trip as well as Markle and Prince Harry’s first trip to the UK as a couple since their dramatic stepping-down as senior members of the royal family.
Although Lilibet’s christening could help heal rumored rifts in the royal family, some sources say that the couple’s wish to have it at Windsor is not being welcome by Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William.
“One of the bigger problems that Meghan really encountered of late is that she wanted her daughter, Lilibet Diana, to be christened in the place she was married alongside her husband Prince Harry. And then the christening of her firstborn, Archie,” NBC royal correspondent Neil Sean said. “But that came to a grinding halt.”
“Both Harry and Meghan were very keen to make that return and make sure that christening happened, particularly in front of Her Majesty The Queen,” Sean continued. “Some people may say they’re just capitalising on their royal connection and why not? It’s how they make money now. But moving forward there was one person who basically decided there wasn’t an appetite for this and the person that seemingly is, so far, not willing to kiss and make up with his younger brother.”
Sean reiterated that Prince William was not keen on having Lilibet’s christening at Windsor and claimed, “According to a very good source, Prince William was the one who basically said ‘no, we don’t think this is going to work,’ it wasn’t a particularly good idea.”
According to the royal author, Robert Jobson, there are sources that believe the once-close brothers, Prince William, and Prince Harry, have a fraught relationship as a result of the couple’s “behavior” over the past few months.
“To some, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s sense of entitlement might seem breathtaking,” Jobson said. “They seem to be blissfully unaware of the mayhem their behaviour has caused the Queen, the monarchy and the Royal Family. After all, their relationship with the family since they stepped down as working royals, and their willingness to blurt out damaging claims on TV, has left its deep scars.”
Jobson also claimed that the Queen “will breathe ‘a sigh of relief'” if Prince Harry and Markle decided to drop plans of having their second-born’s christening at Windsor and choose to have the ceremony in the US instead.
