Prince Harry and Meghan’s daughter “Princess Lilibet Diana” was christened on Friday by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson has said.
The spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor.”
Royal journalist Omid Scobie, who is known for his closeness to the Sussexes, has said that King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate were invited but did not attend.
It is the first time Lili has been publicly referred to as Princess.
Buckingham Palace said the royal website “will now be updated in due course” to reflect the titles.
She became a princess when her grandfather the King acceded to the throne.
It is understood 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.
Royal commentator Emily Andrews tweeted: “The perennial question still remains; if being a royal is so traumatic, such a burden, carries so much inter-generational pain why would you want to style your kids prince and princess/keep your own royal titles....??”
So the perennial question still remains; if being a royal is so traumatic, such a burden, carries so much inter-generational pain why would you want to style your kids prince and princess/keep your own royal titles….?? 👑
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) March 8, 2023
Harry and Meghan are understood to be keen to not deny their children their birth-right, but to allow them the chance to decide for themselves when older whether to drop or keep using the titles.
Political activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu welcomed the christening, but criticised the King and William for not attending.“I’m glad cutie, Princess Lilibet Diana, was surrounded by those who love & wish her well,” she tweetedShe praised Harry and Meghan for keeping the christening intimate, but added it was “shameful that King Charles & Prince William snubbed Lilibet”.
I’m glad cutie, Princess Lilibet Diana, was surrounded by those who love & wish her well ❤️ Well done Harry and Meghan for keeping christening intimate👏🏽
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) March 8, 2023
Shameful that King Charles & Prince William snubbed Lilibet though invited.Petty. Was there representation from Royal Family? pic.twitter.com/85Og79pPKk
The rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili, as the children of a son of a sovereign, are automatically a prince and a princess and also now have an HRH style if they choose to use it.
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.
At the time of the late Queen’s death and the King’s accession, a spokesman for the King pledged to update Archie and Lilibet’s names on the site “as and when we get information”.
The christening took place privately at the Sussexes’ home in California.
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.
