On Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, was christened in Los Angeles. Members of the royal family, including Harry’s father, King Charles III, and brother, Prince William, were not present. But, were they even invited to the event? According to PEOPLE, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did extend an invitation to them.ย
An insider said that Harry and Meghan invited Charles, William, Queen Consort Camilla, and Kate Middleton to the event. However, they did not attend the christening. The publication reported that Lilibet’s christening was a private affair with only 20-30 people in attendance. The gathering included Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry, and an unnamed godmother. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed that their daughter was christened, saying, “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”
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Since their grandfather, Charles, is the current monarch, Harry’s two children, Archie and Lilibet, are afforded the titles of prince and princess. This marked the first time that they used the title publicly. The official website for the British royal family has been updated to reflect their titles. Previously, Archie and Lilibet were referred to as “Master” and “Miss,” respectively. A source told PEOPLE about the titles, “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
Archie and Lilibet are afforded their titles due to a Letters Patent that was issued by King George V in 1917. The rule states that “the grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of these our realms.” There has been some speculation about whether Charles would change that rule. However, a source previously told PEOPLE, “Archie will almost certainly become a prince one day. Charles isn’t going to disavow his grandson, so it’s hugely unlikely that he’ll change the rules to stop it happening. Charles also isn’t going to say that Archie can’t use the title any time soon.”
