Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have hosted a christening for their daughter Lilibet at their $14 million California mansion, it was revealed today.
The Duke, 38, and the Duchess of Sussex, 41, hosted the religious ceremony, which was conducted by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor, last Friday.
people magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry.
They were serenaded by a gospel choir, who performed ‘Oh Happy Day’ and ‘This Little Light of Mine’, a song played at Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Meanwhile, a source revealed that after the ceremony, “those in attendance enjoyed an afternoon of food and dancing, with Archie enjoying a dance with his little sister!”
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured on their 2021 Christmas card with Archie and Lilibet) confirmed that the couple held a christening for ‘Princess Lilibet’ last week at their £14 Montecito home, 7 million dollars.
A source also told the magazine that Lilibet’s aunt and uncle, the Prince and Princess of Wales, grandfather, King Charles, and step-grandmother, the Queen Consort, had been invited to the event in the United States but not. attended.
The news of the christening comes amid speculation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the King’s coronation in the UK, after receiving an invitation.
A spokesperson for the couple confirmed that they had been invited to the ceremony on May 6 (the same day as their eldest son Archie’s birthday), but would not comment on whether or not they had accepted the invitation.
Details of the heartwarming ceremony mirror Prince Harry’s revelation last weekend that he “drowns” his children with affection.
Lilibet Diana (pictured on her first birthday in 2022) was baptized in a ceremony where guests were serenaded by a gospel choir.
Tyler Perry (pictured in Harry & Meghan on Netflix) flew to Santa Barbara for the ceremony in his capacity as Lilibet’s best man.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured on their wedding day in 2018) held the ceremony at their Montecito mansion.
Few details have been released about the christening, but it took place at Harry and Meghan’s lavish and elegant home in Santa Barbara, California, glimpses of which royal fans saw in the couple’s Netflix documentary. Pictured: Meghan with newborn Lilibet
In an interview with controversial therapist Gabor Mate, the duke said: “It leaves me in position now, as the father of my two children, making sure to shower them with love and affection.”
He had been referring to claims Spare made in his memoir bomb that the royal family did not often physically touch each other.
It perhaps comes as no surprise that the couple hosted the party at their own home, as Meghan has previously discussed her attachment to property as “free” and full of “joy.”
Not many details have been released about the party decorations, though Harry and Meghan’s $14 million mansion is reportedly outfitted with fancy Soho House candles and the couple boasts a grand piano in their living room, which was given to them by Mr. Perry. .
Speaking in an interview with The cut Meghan said of her house last year: ‘We did everything we could to get this house. Because you enter and leave… Joy. And exhale. and quiet is healing Feel free.
One of the first features of the house that Meghan and Harry saw were two palm trees, connected to each other at the bottom, which the duke said represented the beloved couple.
“And now, every day when Archie walks past us, he’s like, ‘Hello, Mum. Hello, Dad,'” the Duchess explained.
Harry also appeared in the magazine interview and briefly explained that he is in the middle of renovations to the house, for example fixing pipes.
Mr. Perry’s involvement in the ceremony and as Lilibet’s godfather is also not surprising, as the couple have been close friends with him since they moved to the US and often speak fondly of him.
The Hollywood titan was spotted flying to Santa Barbara last week to meet Harry and Meghan and reportedly changed into a suit before catching up with them, suggesting the dress code was smart for the guests in attendance.
While the guests and family, particularly little Archie, danced the evening away to a playlist containing some of Harry and Meghan’s wedding songs, it’s unclear exactly what tunes were played.
However, the Sussexes’ friend Idris Elba, who played a DJ set at their wedding reception in 2018, previously revealed some details of the music that may give an idea of what the playlist looked like at the christening. .
In an appearance on BBC Radio 1Extra, Elba revealed that Meghan had specifically asked him to play a medley of Whitney Houston’s disco hit I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which he said got the crowd pumped. Another song that Meghan requested was Still DRE by Dr Dre.
One song that was likely played at the christening party and has special meaning to the Sussexes is the 1960 hit Land of a Thousand Dances, to which the couple had their first dance.
Speaking about her wedding reception in the $100 million Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the Duchess said: “I really wanted the music to be fun, even our first dance.”
However, if it was on the christening playlist, Harry was most likely the person who requested it, as Meghan joked in the documentary that she “always gets[s] wrong’ when trying to think of the name of the track.