Public divided over Harry and Meghan's decision to 'keep Archie's christening private'
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie will be christened in a private ceremony at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6 July, according to reports.
It’s understood that only around 25 guests will be present at the service, Mail Online reports. The Queen is not set to be among them as she has prior commitments.
Meghan and Harry also want to keep the baptism ‘completely private,’ with photos to be released afterwards.
While royal christenings have always remained private, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have allowed the media to capture their arrival with all three of their children.
According to The Sunday Times, Archie’s parents are determined to raise him as a “private citizen” and images will not be released instantly.
It comes days after it was revealed that renovations for the Meghan and Harry’s new home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, cost taxpayers £2.4m.
The Sussexes’ decision appears to have divided social media users.
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#ThisMorning @ThisMorning 👫
As parents I think the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a right to christen Archie in private, but as Royal's the public deserve the right to see Archie's christening - especially when £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money being used to fund their life.— 🌸 AlishaValerie. (@AlishaValerie) July 1, 2019
I’m a huge royalist but having Archie’s christening done privately is a massive mistake. I’m all for raising their son out of the media spotlight but when the public have been charged £2.4 million to renovate their home to be ready for his arrival I can see why people are annoyed
— Leanne 👰🏻💕 (@Lealea2190) July 1, 2019
@GMB totally agree with @piersmorgan regarding Harry and Meghan I think if we are paying for the renovations they could at least give the eager public the chance of seeing the christening or the odd picture of Archie do they not realise people love the royal family
— Caroline Mckenzie (@sanchobaby) July 1, 2019
One user said: “As parents I think the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a right to christen Archie in private, but as Royal's the public deserve the right to see Archie's christening - especially when £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money being used to fund their life [sic].”
Another said: “I’m a huge royalist but having Archie’s christening done privately is a massive mistake. I’m all for raising their son out of the media spotlight but when the public have been charged £2.4 million to renovate their home to be ready for his arrival I can see why people are annoyed.”
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Others pointed out that Meghan and Harry are right to stick to their decision to keep their son out of the public eye, especially as he is only seventh in line to the throne.
We don’t need arrival pics. What for? The christening is about Baby Archie, not the people who attend. After the christening, pictures will be released. That’s more than enough.
— Catherine the Radiant (@str8tnochas3r) June 30, 2019
#ThisMorning Archie is 7th in line to the throne....why do we need to have a ‘public’ christening? They can’t win, one minute they are criticised for spending too much the next for not having a lavish unnecessary ceremony!
— Louise Copse (@LouiseCopse) July 1, 2019
One Twitter user said: “We don’t need arrival pics. What for? The christening is about Baby Archie, not the people who attend. After the christening, pictures will be released. That’s more than enough.”
Meghan and Harry gave the world its first glimpse of their newborn son, two days after his birth, during a brief photocall at Windsor Castle.
To celebrate US Mother’s Day, the Sussexes released a photo of new mum Meghan holding Archie, with just his toes visible in the Instagram post.
The public got another glimpse of the royal tot on Father’s Day, when the couple released a sepia-toned snap of Harry holding Archie in his arms.
Meghan made a surprise appearance on Saturday night as she joined Harry at the New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox baseball game at the London Stadium.
