It’s been a relatively quiet week for royals news, but that hasn’t stopped some of the British tabloids from turning when and where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana’s christening will take place into a salacious story.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s rep gave a rare comment on the couple’s actual plans, making it clear they were not set in stone yet despite multiple stories claiming from “sources” that Lili wouldn’t be baptized in England.
The Sussexes’ spokesperson said, via The Daily Mail, that plans for Lili’s christening were still being finalized and that claims otherwise were “mere speculation.”
That comment didn’t stop The Daily Mail from running a headline based on a source’s claims rather than the rep’s actual statement. Their headline was: “Harry and Meghan ‘will NOT bring Lilibet to be Christened in the Church of England and are likely to opt for an Episcopal ceremony in California instead,’ royal sources reveal.”
Their report comes after The Telegraph also ran a story claiming Lili wouldn’t be christened alongside the Queen in the U.K., with “Duke and Duchess of Sussex could christen Lilibet in US as Britain is ruled out,” as their headline.
“There will not be a christening in the U.K. It is not happening,” a source, described as “a palace insider” by the outlet, said. A second source was less certain that was true, saying that a U.K. christening was “highly unlikely.”
The reality, at this point based on the rep’s statement, is anything could happen, and plans will likely be announced by the Sussexes’ team in due time once they really are finalized.
Meghan and Harry welcomed Lili on June 4. The couple spent their summer on parental leave. The Duke and Duchess have yet to take Lili on a public trip to the U.K., but their daughter has met the Queen, the woman after whom she was named.
The Queen was among the first to meet Lili after she was born in a video call, People reported on June 8. “[Meghan and Harry] were very excited and couldn’t wait to share that their daughter arrived,” a source told the outlet.
