Baby Archie’s private christening will not reveal who the godparents are sparking furious row

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen ‘close and old friends’ to be their son Archie’s godparents, it can be revealed tonight amid a furious row over their refusal to identify them because they are ‘private citizens’.

Royal sources said Harry and Meghan were shunning celebrities and turning to a group of friends whose own children performed roles at their wedding.

The list is 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.

Another possible godmother is Lindsay Roth, who met Meghan at Northwestern University in the US and is one of her oldest friends. Meghan was her bridesmaid and the two spend a lot of time together as she lives in London.

The royal couple, who are denying any public access to his christening at Windsor Castle on Saturday, have also decided not to allow TV cameras in to record the royal family arriving.

They will release a small number of images taken by their own photographer later in the day.  

Among those Harry is likely to choose are his childhood friend Jake Warren, son of the Queen’s bloodstock manager, whose daughter, Zalie, two, was also a bridesmaid last year.

Also in the frame is Mark Dyer, Harry’s childhood mentor and confidante, whose son Jasper is the prince’s godson and was a pageboy at the wedding, as well his former nanny Tiggy Pettifer.

The fact that many of them were involved publicly in the Sussexes’ wedding may lead to further criticism of the decision not to reveal the godparents’ identities.

Harry and Meghan’s decision comes days after the couple were criticised for using £2.4million of public money to refurbish Frogmore Cottage, their new official residence on the Queen’s Berkshire estate.

Earlier this year they refused to announce where the duchess had given birth to their son, which the Mail revealed to be the Portland Hospital in London.

However, it was confirmed yesterday that Archie will be baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby.

The fact that the Queen’s great-grandson and seventh in line to the throne is being welcomed into the Church of England by its second most senior figure, after the Queen, may raise questions over Harry and Meghan’s demands for privacy.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ‘Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday July 6. The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private.’

The couple’s photographer on the day will be Chris Allerton, who took their wedding photos.

A senior royal source said last night: ‘People are largely sympathetic about their clear desire to bring Archie up out of the public spotlight as much as possible.

‘But a christening is something very different. Archie’s great-grandmother is head of the Church of England and he is still very high up in the line of succession.

‘They are also senior working royals who are funded by the Sovereign Grant. You can’t have it both ways. There is a feeling that this doesn’t look very good at all.

‘Harry feels very defensive and very protective of his family. But the feeling is that he needs to put this to one side in certain instances, and this is one.’

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, who has written about royal children for several decades, said she could not remember details of a senior royal’s godparents ever being withheld.

‘The trouble is that they [Harry and Meghan] want it every which way they can,’ she added.

Harry’s biographer Penny Junor said: ‘Not allowing any media access is denying a lot of people a very innocent pleasure.’

Under the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, all Church of England baptisms are a matter of public record, including the godparents and officiating minister. Anyone willing to pay the required fee can look up the details.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge allowed the media to cover each of their children’s christenings.  

Royal critics slammed the decision to keep the christening private, particularly in light of the row over the refurbishments at Frogmore.

The Dean of Chelmsford Nicholas Henshall told the BBC: ‘Baptism should never be private – it’s a public demonstration of God’s love.’  

Piers Morgan, who has been a long-standing critic of Meghan, expressed his outrage, saying: ‘The godparents will not be announced’. 

‘Why not? Harry & Meghan need to stop playing these dumb cake-and-eat-it games with the media/public. 

‘If you want your home costs paid by the taxpayer, you reveal this kind of info. That’s the deal.’ 

While Professor Adrian Hilton, political philosophy lecturer at the University of Surrey, commented: ‘Details of the godparents will be kept private.’ 

‘This is inappropriate. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in receipt of the ‘Sovereign Grant’: their son isn’t a ‘private citizen’; his godparents are a matter of public interest, having responsibility for his spiritual wellbeing.’

The decision has sparked outrage on social media, with one person tweeting: ‘Shame, shame. Why be so hidden when one has a public position. I’m disappointed in Harry. 

Another wrote: ‘They are ridiculous. Their choices are so petty and disrespectful to British tax payers. 

‘Catherine And William are doing wonderful but why should Brits want to pay for a couple that has no regard for the people?’

Although the royal christenings are usually private and not broadcast like weddings or coronations, guests are often photographed arriving at the ceremony. 

Baby Archie’s arrival has struck a sharp contrast to that of his cousins’ Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

Kate and William posed for photographs with each of their newborns outside the famous Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital.

Their choice of godparents and christening guests were also public knowledge, with wellwishers pictured by the press on their way to the services.

But details of Meghan’s birthing plan, when she went into labour and the location of the birth were kept a secret with the royal couple insisting they wanted to maintain a high level of privacy. 

Archie was also born without a royal title, reflecting his parents wish to raise him out of the media spotlight.  

Sources have said Saturday’s service will be a ‘very small gathering’ of about 25 people. 

It will be attended by Archie’s grandfather Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen will miss her great-grandson’s baptism due to other commitments. 

Harry and Meghan’s decision to exclude the press on the day could mean the non-royal guests remain a secret.  

The statement issued by Buckingham Palace reads: ‘Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6th July.

‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton.

‘The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private.’ 

Royal biographer Penny Junor previously said members of the public would have wanted to share Harry and Meghan’s joy of baptizing their first child, branding the move a ‘terrible mistake’. 

She said: ‘We’re not asking for Archie to become public property but to be able to share in the pleasure of his christening, I think it is only fair to give the public that pleasure.

‘Because although Archie himself is not going to be a working member of the royal family, so far as we can tell he’s going to be brought up as a normal child, that’s fine but Harry is very much a part of the royal family as we’ve known it over the years.

‘People love him and they’re really happy for him – he’s married Meghan and they’ve had the baby – and they want to share in the joy of that and I think this is a terrible shame and I think it’s a mistake.’

Royal expert, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said she felt that people were becoming a ‘bit jaded’ by ‘stylised’ pictures of the newest royal. 

She said of the couple’s decision to keep the public out of Archie’s life: ‘I think this is quite Harry-led and it is putting Meghan in a very difficult position. 

‘She’s the one getting all the flak as a newcomer to the Royal Family. I assume Harry and Meghan don’t know where they are going wrong and think the criticism is all so very unfair. 

‘But why wouldn’t they want the world to see their baby? I don’t think it is any skin off their nose.’