Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor into the world on May 6. Baby Archie will be christened in an intimate ceremony in Windsor when he is exactly two months old. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released details about the christening, revealing information about the date, the officiant, the photographs and the godparents. But why exactly are Harry and Meghan not revealing the identity of the godparents?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will not reveal the identity of baby Archie’s godparents according to a royal communications notice.

So what do we know about the christening so far?

Archie Harrison will be christened on Saturday, July 6, at a private chapel in Windsor Castle.

The gathering is expected to include only 25 very close friends and family members, with Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland, Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall all planning to attend.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will lead the ceremony.

He also married the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018 and baptised Meghan Markle ahead of the royal wedding.

Baby Archie is expected to wear a gown previously worn by each of his cousins.

The gown has in fact been worn by all of the Queen’s great grandchildren.

The historic piece of clothing is a replica of the Honiton lace christening gown commissioned by Queen Victoria for the baptism of her first child Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa in 1841.

That gown was worn by 62 royal babies (including five monarchs) over the course of its 163 years of royal service, but was retired after the christening of Lady Louise Windsor, the eldest child of Prince Edward, in a bid to protect it.

The Queen’s wardrobe advisor, Angela Kelly, was then enlisted to create the replica, which has been used ever since.

It is also expected that baby Archie’s brow will be doused with water from the River Jordan from the royal Lily Font as per royal baby tradition.

The river is believed to be where Jesus was baptised by Saint John and is a popular place of pilgrimage for many Christians.

The tradition is therefore also a nod to the Royal Family’s faith.

But, royal fans are going to remain in the dark about the godparents.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6th July.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton.

“The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private.”

The couple are determined to keep their son a “private citizen”, with sources confirming they want a media-free baptism.

Speculation about who will be named as a godparent has been rife with contenders including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney and Hollywood actor George Clooney.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been adamant since before their son was born that they intend to give their child, who is seventh in line to the throne, “as normal a life as possible”.

The Duke of Sussex was raised very much in the spotlight and it seems that he does not want the same for his son.

The couple’s attempts to maintain this privacy at the christening is in stark contrast to Prince William and Kate Middleton who invited the media to the christening of all three of their children, keeping only the ceremony itself private.

It is also possible that the couple wish to keep the identity of the godparents secret to protect their privacy as well, being chosen as a godparent would put a spotlight on each of the individuals chosen, which might not be of interest to them.

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