Royal Source Reveals Date And Details For Baby Archie’s ‘Intimate, Peaceful’ Christening

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bundle of joy is already 7 weeks old! It feels like just yesterday that we saw Harry jubilantly announce to the press that his son had arrived into the world. We've only gotten a few quick glimpses of little Archie so far. Harry and Meghan proudly introduced him to the world during a photo-call at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Many speculated the next chance to see baby Archie would be at his christening. We're now learning more about when that will be, but don't hold your breath for those photos just yet.

In line with many of the decisions they've made thus far, Harry and Meghan are opting for a private christening. That means that the only photos from the event will be the ones the royal family releases at a later date. This is unlike Prince Louis' christening last year, where the press captured photos of the guests before and after the ceremony.

The special event will take place at the Queen's private chapel at Windsor Castle, reportedly on July 6. Harry and Meghan picked the location because they "wanted an intimate, peaceful setting in a place with such a special connection to Her Majesty," according to People.

It's hard to believe it's already been 7 weeks since Meghan Markle gave birth to her first child. Baby Archie was born on May 6, 2019, and introduced to the world just two days later.

Since he came into the world, everyone's been dying to see more of Archie. Of course, we know that Harry and Meghan are big on privacy. They've offered just two photos of Archie since his photo-call. One was in celebration of Meghan's first Mother's Day and shows just the infant's feet.

The second came in celebration of Prince Harry's first Father's Day. The infant can be seen lying in his dad's arms, with his hand wrapped around Harry's finger. The sweet black-and-white photo also prominently shows off Harry's wedding ring.

Fans of the royal family suspected the next official photos of Archie would be taken during his christening. There was speculation as to when this event would occur since the royal family's summer break is fast approaching.

Archie will celebrate his christening later this week. The event is scheduled for July 6 and will take place at Queen Elizabeth's private chapel in Windsor Chapel. A source told People that Meghan and Harry "wanted an intimate, peaceful setting in a place with such a special connection to Her Majesty."

The private chapel is a short distance to travel for the Sussexes. Frogmore Cottage is also on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The source says the family expects about 25 guests, made up of close family and friends. Photos of the event will be released the next day, according to the source.

Royal christenings are usually private, but Harry and Meghan are looking for as private an experience as possible. "This is a beautiful milestone and they are excited to share it as a family first and then with the world," the source explained.

If the timeline seems familiar, it's because things went down just about the same way this time last year. Prince Louis, the third-born child of William and Kate, was christened on July 9 at the Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace. Prince George was christened at the same location.

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The spot where Archie will be christened is very significant to the royal family. The private chapel was created for Queen Victoria between 1840 and 1847. A fire at Windsor Castle destroyed the room in 1992. It was rebuilt and updated two years later.

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The royal christenings of today may seem lavish, but they are much smaller events than they used to be. Prince Charles and Prince William were both christened in the ornate music room at Buckingham Palace. They had much larger ceremonies that included the extended royal family.

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St. George's Chapel was the scene of Prince Harry's christening in 1984. Prince William, as the big brother, took on the responsibility of entertaining the family, as seen in this photo. Harry and Meghan exchanged vows there in their May 2018 wedding.

Despite the location being of such significance to the royal family and to Queen Elizabeth in particular, she will reportedly not be in attendance. Prior commitments will keep her from the event, much like they did last year when Prince Louis was christened.

It's believed that another tradition will be upheld. Sources speculate that Archie will continue the tradition of wearing the royal christening gown, as all his cousins before him did. The current gown is a replica of the original, which was retired following Lady Louise Windsor's christening in 2004.

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One detail everyone is anxiously awaiting is the news of who Archie's godparents will be. Some big names have been thrown around, including George and Amal Clooney, who are close friends of the Sussexes. Serena Williams, a longtime friend of Meghan's, has also been mentioned as a possibility.

We'll all have to wait until Saturday to find out!