Prince Harry & Meghan Markle May Break Tradition When It Comes To Archie’s Christening

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie Harrison, was introduced to the world for the first time on Wednesday — and fans are already wondering when they’ll see his adorable face once more. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are raising their first child privately, so it is unlikely that he’ll be revealed to the public very often. However, fans can look forward to Archie’s christening, which may be just a few months away, according to Hello! magazine.

There is no telling exactly how the royal couple will proceed with their son’s christening ceremony, as Meghan and Harry are known to break away from royal tradition. But, based on past ceremonies, it is likely that Archie will be baptized in July — or some time over the summer. Royal babies are traditionally christened when they are between 3 and 6 months of age.

Kate Middleton and Prince William’s son, Prince George, was three months old when he was christened, while Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were two months old. Harry himself was baptized at three months old.

The Duke and Duchess have a choice in where Archie’s baptism will take place, but royal experts guess that it will be held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The couple tied the knot at that very same venue in May of 2018. In addition, Harry’s own ceremony took place there, when he was a child.

Traditionally, royal babies are required to wear a lace robe — known as the Honiton christening gown — for the ceremony, Newsweek reported. This tradition dates back to 1841, when Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, was born. The robe was reportedly inspired by Queen Victoria’s wedding dress. Although the original robe is no longer in use, a replica has been worn by royal babies since 2008.

Archie’s godparents will be involved in the ceremony, although the names of his godparents will not be announced until just a few days beforehand. Royal fans have already started placing bets on who Meghan and Harry will choose. Popular votes include Victoria and David Beckham, Kate and William, and George and Amal Clooney. However, as The Inquisitr previously reported, Clooney recently shut down rumors that he will be selected as godfather.

Although the ceremony itself will likely remain private, photos from the christening are traditionally released to the public that same week. Kate and William released portraits of George one day after the ceremony. The public waited four days for Charlotte’s pictures, and two days for Louis’ snapshots.

Of course, Meghan and Harry broke royal tradition by waiting two days after Archie’s birth to have his first photos taken, so they may wait even longer to release christening photos — or choose not to release them at all.