While baby Archie's christening this morning was a private affair in Windsor, the little royal's parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, just released two photos in honor of the religious milestone.
The pictures were taken in the Green Drawing and in the rose garden at Windsor Castle by photographer Chris Allerton, and the series includes one adorable photo of the proud parents with their two-month-old son, and one full family portrait, which features the Cambridges, Prince Charles and Camilla, and Meghan's mother Doria, as well as two of Princess Diana's siblings, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.
Roughly 25 people were invited to the intimate christening this morning, but Harry and Meghan have decided to keep the names of Archie's godparents private "in keeping with their wishes."
Notably, the Queen and Prince Philip were not in attendance at the celebration, but that shouldn't be seen as a slight to little Archie.
The Queen had prior commitments in Scotland, and duty always comes first for the British monarch. Her absence is not entirely unprecedented; she missed her sixth great-grandchild Prince Louis's baptism last year, though she did attend the christening for Lena Tindall, her eighth great grandchild, in March.
Similarly, Prince Philip skipping the ceremony shouldn't be seen as cause for concern.
In October of last year, ahead of Princess Eugenie's wedding, the Telegraph reported that Philip "now operates on a 'wake up and see how I feel' basis."
"The royals are like any family in the sense they try to make family occasions but it is not always possible," a source told the publication.
Caroline Hallemann is the Digital Director at Town & Country, where she covers culture, society, and entertainment, as well as the British royal family, among a variety of other topics. Prior to leading the digital team at T&C, she served as the brand's Senior News Editor and Digital News Director, and has previously held positions at Travel + Leisure, DailyCandy, and Parenting Magazine. Caroline is also currently writing a book about the Kennedy family and the British royals, and she lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and their son, Tommy. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @challemann and on TikTok at @carolinehallemann.
