Baby Archie christening: Is THIS why the Queen won’t be at baby Archie’s christening?
MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry have confirmed baby Archie’s christening will take place next month - and the Queen will be missing from the service. Could THIS be what’s keeping the Queen from Archie’s christening?
Meghan Markle and Harry acting ‘coy’ with Archie says expert
Royal baby Archie Harrison will be christened in July, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have confirmed. The ceremony will be held at St George's Chapel, Windsor and a string of senior royals are expected to attend. Queen Elizabeth II will miss little Archie’s christening because she is otherwise engaged. Could this be what's keeping Her Majesty from attending Baby Archie's big day?
Archie Harrison’s big day won’t be the first royal christening the Queen has had to skip.
Her Majesty was also unable to attend Prince Louis’s christening in July last year.
While baby Archie will be christened on the Queen’s doorstep at Windsor’s St George’s Chapel the monarch will not be able to make it.
READ MORE: Baby Archie christening: How Archie’s christening will be different to Prince Louis’s
While Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan Markle, 37, are yet to confirm the date of Archie’s christening, they have said it will happen in July.
A look ahead at the Queen’s royal engagements shows she has two events booked in for next month.
Why can’t the Queen attend Archie’s christening?
According to the future royal engagements calendar on the Buckingham Palace website, the Queen has two key events in the first two weeks of July.
She will host a garden party at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on July 3 - so she will be a long way away from Windsor.
On July 9 the Queen is due to visit Cambridgeshire, which would also make it difficult for her to get to St George’s Chapel.
What will baby Archie’s christening be like?
Unlike Kate and Prince William’s children, Archie will be Christened at St George’s Chapel, just moments away from Frogmore Cottage.
Not only is the chapel where little Archie’s parents got married, but it is also where his Dad Harry was christened in 1984.
The ceremony is expected to be overseen by the Dean of Windsor, the Rev David Conner, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
To mark the ceremony Archie’s brow will be doused with water from the River Jordan from the royal Lily Font.
READ MORE: Archie Harrison christening details CONFIRMED: When, where, and who’s going
Archie will follow in the footsteps of previous royal babies and wear a replica of the royal Honiton lace christening gown.
The original gown was worn by 62 royal babies, including Harry and his brother William, but became too fragile so the Queen had a replica made.
While the Queen won’t attend, Harry’s dad The prince of Wales is expected to be there with his wife Camilla.
Prince William and Kate will also attend.