Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surprised royal watchers in an Instagram post where they featured photos of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor’s, baptism by including two members of the late Princess Diana’s family in the small group of 25 family and friends invited to attend the private event.
People Magazine reported that a royal source close to the family commented, “Harry is close to Diana’s family. In the same way that it was important for [Harry and Meghan] to include both Doria’s and Diana’s family in the official Buckingham Palace birth announcement, it meant a lot to them to share a photo of their full family.”
Lady Sarah McCorquodale, 64, and Lady Jane Fellowes, 62, are the late princess’ only sisters. Their brother, the 9th Earl of Spencer, was not featured in the photo. It is unknown if he attended his nephew’s christening event, as details of who attended and whom the godparents are to baby Archie have thus far been kept under wraps.
People Magazine also reported that a friend of the family said the inclusion of Diana’s sisters in the photo is a gentle way to remind the public that their mother will always be remembered, and that her family will always be their family.
Since their mother’s death in a car crash in Paris in August, 1997, both Prince Harry and Prince William have found ways to incorporate her memory into their life’s milestone events.
For his engagement, Prince William gifted Kate Middleton with his mother’s iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring from his father, Prince Charles. Vanity Fair reported that William and Kate paid a visit to Diana’s burial site just before their 2011 nuptials so William could show his soon-to-be-wife the ancestral home where his mother lived as a child. William and Kate also chose the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer” — the final selection sung at Diana’s funeral, reported Vanity Fair . Kate wore her late mother-in-law’s pearl earrings at Archie’s christening in the official photo released by Markle and Prince Harry on their Instagram page.
Markle paid homage to Princess Diana at her wedding with the inclusion of white garden roses, the primary flower that was in Princess Diana’s wedding bouquet when she married Prince Charles in 1981. The former Suits star also carried a bouquet of forget-me-nots when she married Prince Harry, Diana’s favorite flower. Markle was gifted Princess Diana’s aquamarine ring as her traditional “something blue” for her wedding reception; it was seen on her hand as she and Prince Harry exited Kensington Palace for their intimate family wedding reception.
The 22nd anniversary of Princess Diana’s untimely death occurs on August 31.
