As precious few details have been released about the christening ceremony of Princess Lilibet Diana last week, one thing that has stood out to royal fans is that senior members of the royal family had been invited but were not present.
Prince Harry, 38 and Meghan Markle, 41, christened their 21-month-old daughter in an intimate ceremony followed by a party at their home in Montecito, California, a spokesman for the couple confirmed.
After People magazine revealed a few details about the party, including that four-year-old Prince Archie danced with his sister while songs were played from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding, royal journalist and friend of the Sussexes Omid Scobie offered some detail about the guest list.
He posted on Twitter: ‘King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate were invited but didn’t attend.’
However it has now been reported that Prince Harry’s family was not completely under-represented at the christening and party, as his aunts on his mother’s side were supposedly in attendance.
Lady Sarah McCorquodale (left) and Lady Jane Fellowes (pictured with Earl Spencer) were reportedly present at Princess Lilibet Diana’s christening, according to Marie Claire. The older sisters of Princess Diana were thought to be among the 20-30 guests at the 21-month-old’s christening and subsequent party which was held at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Montecito mansion
Marie Claire has reported that Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, the older sisters of the late Princess Diana, were among the guests at the christening.
It is not clear when the Duke of Sussex last saw his aunts, although they have been present at his important life events along with Prince Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer.
Both Harry and William have remained close with their aunts and uncle on their mother’s side since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
The Duke of Sussex was last pictured alongside his aunts in 2021 when he and the Prince of Wales joined together to unveil a statue of their late mother at Kensington Palace.
Princess Lilibet Diana (pictured on her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage), was christened last Friday
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement confirming Lilibet’s christening and called her ‘Princess Lilibet Diana’ which prompted Buckingham Palace to update her title on its website to Princess Lilibet of Sussex
Both Harry and William were pictured warmly greeting Lady Sarah and Lady Jane with kisses and hugs.
Last week, his aunts were reportedly among a guest list of around 20-30 including Princess Lilibet’s godfather Tyler Perry, who loaned the Sussexes his $18million (£15million) Beverly Hills mansion in 2020.
Another guest reported to have been at the party was Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, who plays a big part in family life for the Sussexes as revealed in their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan.
Other details of the party are scant, but People magazine reported that the ceremony was hosted by Reverend John Taylor, last Friday.
They were serenaded by a gospel choir, who are believed to have performed Oh Happy Day and This Little Light of Mine — a song that was played at Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Meanwhile an insider revealed that after the ceremony, ‘attendees were treated to an afternoon of food and dancing — with Archie enjoying a dance with his little sister!’
Details of the warm ceremony may be seen to reflect Prince Harry’s disclosure last weekend that he ‘smothers’ his children with affection.
In an interview with controversial therapist Gabor Mate, the Duke said: ‘It leaves me in position now, as a father to two kids of my own, making sure that I smother them with love and affection.’
He had been referring to claims he made in his bombshell memoir Spare that the Royal Family did not often physically touch one another.
It is perhaps no surprise that the couple hosted the party in their own home, as Meghan has previously discussed her attachment to the property as ‘free’ and full of ‘joy’.
Not many details have been given about decorations at the party, although Harry and Meghan’s mansion is reported to be kitted out with chic Soho House candles and the couple boast a grand piano in their sitting room, which was gifted to them by Perry.
Speaking in an interview with The Cut last year, Meghan said of her home: ‘We did everything we could to get this house. Because you walk in and go… Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.’
One of the first features that Meghan and Harry saw was two palm trees, connected together at the bottom, which the Duke claimed represented the loved-up couple.
‘And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, “Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa,”‘ explained the Duchess.
Following the announcement of Princess Lilibet Diana’s christening, questions were raised about whether or not the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex really was titled ‘princess’.
After the Sussexes released a statement claiming it was her ‘birth right’ to hold the title, Buckingham Palace revealed it would update both Lilibet and Archie’s titles on its website.
Within hours, the titles were updated and they were named as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. The line of succession was also updated to reflect their positions as sixth and seventh in line to the throne, behind their father Prince Harry.
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