MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry won’t christen Lilibet in front of the Queen and will have a “secret” ceremony in the US, claims a royal expert.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second child on June 4, and are currently on maternity and paternity leave in their £11million Santa Barbara mansion.
There have been reports that the couple were hoping to christen their daughter in front of Her Majesty, 95, in Windsor.
However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told the Express the couple will “do things their own way” with Lilibet.
He added: “It seems certain that her christening will be in Meghan’s home state and with the secrecy but without the controversy that surrounded Archie’s christening.”
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The couple, who stepped back from royal duties in March last year, have not yet released an image of their daughter.
And Richard pointed out that this is proof Meghan and Harry are now acting on their own terms.
A source previously told The Daily Mail: “Harry told several people that they want to have Lili christened at Windsor, just like her brother.
“They are happy to wait until circumstances allow.”
If they did make the trip, it would be Meghan’s first trip to the UK since last year’s Megxit when the couple left for the US.
She is due to be added after the christening, and would replace Prince Andrew as eighth in line to the throne, the Mail reports.
Harry and Meghan’s son Archie was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in July, 2019.
Meghan made sure the christening was a “completely private affair” attended by just 22 guests, according to the couple’s unauthorised biography Finding Freedom.
Harry and Meghan refused to name their son’s godparents after he was christened while they were still senior and full-time royals.
Details of royal babies’ godparents had always been made public previously.
The Queen didn’t attend Archie’s 2019 ceremony due to prior commitments.
Royal expert Angela Levin said it is therefore unreasonable for Harry to expect the Queen to attend Lilibet’s christening.
Angela told Talk Radio: “That puts her in a very difficult position because she can’t say that she is not free for years.
“She didn’t go to Louis’, the third child of Prince William and Kate. So it’s not a spiteful thing.”
Angela said the Queen isn’t present at such events because “they’re not close enough to the Crown”.
We previously reported how Prince Harry is putting the Queen in a tricky spot by expecting her to attend Lilibet’s christening, says royal expert.
Harry and William stood side-by-side at the unveiling of their mother’s statue at Kensington Palace in July.
The pair laughed and joked together as they came face-to-face for the first time since Prince Philip’s funeral in April.
