Senior royals including Charles, William and Kate gather in Windsor for baby Archie's top secret christening as mystery still surrounds who Harry and Meghan have chosen as godparents
- Senior Royals have begun to gather in Windsor for baby Archie's christening
- Prince William, Kate and Prince Charles are expected to attend the event
- Mystery continues to swirl around who has been selected as a godparent
- Harry and Meghan billed the public £2.4million to renovate Frogmore cottage
Senior royals are gathering in Windsor for baby Archie's christening, but mystery still swirls around who Harry and Meghan have chosen as his godparents.
Prince William, Kate and Prince Charles are expected to attend the christening today although the Queen will not be present due to a diary clash.
The 'small, private' event will take place in the private chapel at Windsor castle, before official portraits will be taken in the same drawing room where Charles and Diana celebrated Harry's christening.
The royal couple have refused to reveal who their son's godparents are despite billing the public £2.4million for renovations to Frogmore cottage.
Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex with their baby son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor during a photocall in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire
Prince Charles is expected to attend the christening today in Windsor with Camilla (pictured, Charles in Wales yesterday meeting farmers
Prince William and Kate pictured attending the traditional Easter sunday service at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in April this year. They are also expected to attend the christening today
Even though there is thought to be little chance of the royals making an appearance, fans still lined the streets in the hopes of catching a glimpse of baby Archie.
They are clutching banners showing pictures of the royal couple and their son while waving the flags of the UK and the USA.
The date for Archie's christening has already been moved by two days, after his parents discovered that both the Queen and Prince Charles had prior engagements.
The Prince was in Wales to mark his 50 years as Prince of Wales, while the Queen had long planned to spend the weekend with Prince Philip at Sandringham before attending events for Holyrood week in Scotland.
After a family conference it was decided that the date should be moved to today while her majesty graciously bowed out of the occasion.
While the monarch has not been able to attend all of her great-grandchildren's christenings, having missed Prince Louis's baptism last year, it is understood that she would have like to be present for Prince Harry's big celebration with his first child.
Royal fans have been seen lining the street, even though the royals are not thought to be making an appearance, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the royal baby
This royal fan has been seen clutching flags for both Harry and Meghan's countries as he waits on the ground outside the castle
Television camera crews have also been seen preparing for baby Archie's big day. He will be christened in the private chapel at Windsor castle
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly shunned celebrities as godparents and instead turned to a group of friends whose children played a key role in their wedding.
Royal sources have said that Meghan and Harry picked 'close and old friends' for the roles amid a backlash over the royal couple's refusal to identify them because they are 'private citizens'.
The chosen few are likely to include Meghan's friend Benita Litt and Harry's childhood mentor Mark Dyer, while more-notable names including Jessica Mulroney and Serena Williams are out.
Ms Litt is an old friend from Los Angeles whose daughters Remi and Rylan – both Meghan’s goddaughters – were bridesmaids at the couple’s wedding.
Baby Archie will be dressed in the Honiton lace and white satin gown, first used in 2008 for the christening of James, Viscount Severn, as he is recognised as the ninth royal baby in line to the throne today.
The frilly cream outfit is a replica of the intricate gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, and used for all royal baptisms, until Lady Louise Windsor's in 2004.
It was created by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly, and features the same lengthy skirt and elaborate collars and bow as its predecessor.
The Green Drawing Room back to its former glory in 1996 after years of painstaking renovations
Princess Diana poses with Prince Harry on December 21, 1984, after his christening on an identical chair to which he sits on three decades later for his official wedding photographs
The original robe, made in 1841, was worn by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry among others, and has now been carefully preserved.
In keeping with tradition, the water used for Archie's christening will be holy water from the River Jordan, where it is said Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist.
The ornate silver gilt Lily Font – part of the Crown Jewels - will also form part of the proceedings.
The baptismal font, commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 after the birth of their first child, Victoria, was first used at The Princess Royal's christening in 1841 and has been a feature of Royal christenings ever since.
The official photographs of Archie's christening will be taken in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, a historic backdrop.
The royal family also celebrated Harry's christening in the same room back in 1984.
Adorable footage shows a very young Harry gurgling and smiling at the camera as he wears his great-grandmother's christening gown, while his mother Princess Diana proudly holds him on a chair identical to the one he posed on alongside Meghan last year.
In the historic video, broadcast as part of the Queen's 1984 Christmas message, the grand reception room is filled with familiar faces of the royal family who are celebrating baby Harry's christening.
A cheeky Prince William steals the show, running circles around family members before being scooped up by his father Prince Charles.
The film shows Princess Diana, dressed in royal blue, carefully holding Prince Harry as she asks his cousin Zara to come over and say hello to him.
As well as family engagements, the Green Drawing Room has been a popular stage for the Queen to host official engagements - hosting the Indian prime minister in 2009 and the first Irish head of state in 2014.
But this came after a lengthy process of renovations after the room was gutted by a devastating fire in 1992.
Royal babies must be christened owing to the Queen's role as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
They are often welcomed into the Christian faith within weeks of being born - in Archie's case, the ceremony comes exactly two months after his arrival on May 6.
Prince George was a little older and was three months old when he was christened, while Louis and Charlotte were both also around two months.
Prince William was baptised on August 4 1982 at the age of six weeks, while Harry was three months old.
The Prince of Wales was one month and one day old at his own christening. The Queen was just five weeks old when she was christened.
At Archie's ceremony today members of the St George's Chapel Choir will sing before members of the Royal Family including The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Queen is, however, unable to attend her new great-grandson's christening after a major diary clash.
‘Her Majesty was already scheduled to be in Scotland for her annual Holyrood Week and had a prior engagement at the weekend,' a senior employee at Buckingham Palace told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly shunned celebrities as godparents and instead turned to a group of friends whose children played a key role in their wedding.
Royal sources said last night that Meghan and Harry picked 'close and old friends' for the roles amid a backlash over the royal couple's refusal to identify them because they are 'private citizens'.
The chosen few are likely to include Meghan's friend Benita Litt and Harry's childhood mentor Mark Dyer, while more-notable names including Jessica Mulroney and Serena Williams are out.
Ms Litt is an old friend from Los Angeles whose daughters Remi and Rylan – both Meghan’s goddaughters – were bridesmaids at the couple’s wedding.
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