Who Are Baby Archie's Godparents?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's adorable son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, was born back in May 2019. He's grown his own fan base since then, but even the most loyal of fans don't know everything about the royal tyke. One bit of information that has been kept private until recently is who Archie's godparents are.
Baby Archie was christened last July, but his parents decided to keep his godparents a secret, in breaking with royal tradition. The decision was met with backlash.
"A christening is a sacred, precious, family event and if Harry and Meghan want privacy that should be ok with the rest of us," Princess Diana's former secretary, Patrick Jephson, told Vanity Fair around the time of Archie's christening. "But a christening is also a public declaration of faith and in the Church of England godparents are a matter of public record. So to make a point of denying the public even a respectful glimpse looks either naïve or manipulative, an odd way to protect the godparents, or indeed wee Archie."
Royal christenings are typically public
While royal christenings are typically public affairs, Archie's was shrouded in secrecy. His parents released some photos after the event, but the actual christening was performed privately with only 25 guests. "Harry and Meghan don't want Archie to be in the media spotlight, they want him to have an ordinary childhood," a source told Vanity Fair. "This is their way of making the point that Archie is a private citizen and they are starting as they mean to go on."
The fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were so determined to give Archie a normal life and keep him out of the limelight might have been a clue that Megxit was coming. When the couple announced that they were stepping back from their duties as senior royals a few months later, they hinted that giving Archie a life away from the spotlight was one of their goals in splitting their time between North America and the UK.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter," said the couple in a statement (via Vogue).
Royals typically have at least five godparents
Vanity Fair speculated at the time of Archie's christening that among his godparents (royals typically have at least five) would be Markle's friends Lindsay Roth and Genevieve Hills, and Prince Harry's friend and mentor Mark Dyer. The Sunday Times recently revealed that Dyer is, indeed, one of Archie's godparents. Prince Harry and Prince William's nanny, Tiggy Pettifer (formerly Tiggy Legge-Bourke), is also one of Archie's godparents.
"They were both constants in Harry's childhood and beyond," a source told E! News. "They are fascinating choices of figures in Harry's life that he will hope may keep Archie rooted somehow in the UK, as they relocate to North America."
Prince Harry's friend, Charlie van Straubenzee, is another one of Archie's godparents. While it is likely the young royal has more godparents, only Pettifer, Dyer, and von Straubenzee have been confirmed so far.
Prince Harry and his former nanny remain quite close
Prince Harry and his one-time nanny remain quite close. According to The Sun, the royal introduced Pettifer to Meghan Markle after their engagement. "Harry couldn't wait to introduce Meghan to Tiggy," a source told the outlet in January 2018. "Although the two women are very different, they got on famously."
Pettifer was reportedly there for Prince Harry and Prince William when they learned of the tragic passing of their mother, Princess Diana, and comforted the boys in the aftermath of their devastating loss.
There was speculation in early 2018 that Pettifer might be named one of Prince Louis' godparents, although Business Insider later reported that Pettifer was not among his godmothers.
Baby Archie's godfathers are also close to the family
Baby Archie's godfathers, Mark Dyer and Charlie van Straubenzee, are also very close to the family. The Sunday Times reported that Dyer is a former equerry to Prince Charles, and also became a close friend and mentor to both Prince Harry and Prince Charles.
Van Straubenzee, according to People, is a childhood friend of Prince Harry. They met at Ludgrove Prep School, and van Straubenzee has been a close friend of Prince Harry ever since. Van Straubenzee is also good friends with Prince William, and his older brother, Thomas Van Straubenzee, is one of Princess Charlotte's godparents.