These Are Baby Archie's Once-Secret Godparents
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's "Megxit" from the British royal family wasn't the couple's first time doing things their own way. Ever since Markle and Harry got married, they've blazed their own path as a royal couple. Unsurprisingly, their approach to raising their son, Archie, in the public eye hasn't been any different.
The Sussexes welcomed baby Archie in May 2019. Markle and Harry opted to keep a number of details about Archie's birth private, per BBC. They didn't reveal where the birth would take place, nor did they bring him out for a press photo immediately afterward. Additionally, when Markle and Harry announced Archie's name, there weren't any royal titles attached to it — just the royal family's last name, Mountbatten-Windsor. All of these decisions were a notable departure from royal tradition.
Yet another detail that Markle and Harry kept secret for a long time? The identities of Archie's godparents. While Kate Middleton and Prince William "invited the media to the christening of all three of their children," per The Sun, Markle and Harry kept Archie's christening much more under wraps.
In fact, Archie's christening in July 2019 was completely private — except for a family portrait. However, shortly after Markle and Harry's January 2020 announcement that they were stepping down from their royal duties, Archie's godparents were finally revealed. Let's dive into how this detail remained a mystery for so long — and who these godparents actually are!
Meghan and Harry hid Archie's godparents for months
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry definitely went against the grain by keeping Archie's godparents a secret. Royal christenings are typically public affairs, but by the time Archie's christening took place, Markle and Harry had already made it very clear that they wanted to give Archie a normal, private life away from the spotlight. Their desire to do so may have had something to do with "Megxit" happening a few months after Archie was born.
Still, some people were upset by Markle and Harry's decision to keep this information private. "A christening is a sacred, precious, family event and if Harry and Meghan want privacy that should be ok with the rest of us," Princess Diana's former secretary, Patrick Jephson, told Vanity Fair at the time. "But a christening is also a public declaration of faith and in the Church of England godparents are a matter of public record. So to make a point of denying the public even a respectful glimpse looks either naïve or manipulative, an odd way to protect the godparents, or indeed wee Archie."
At the time of Archie's christening, there was a great deal of speculation about who the Sussexes picked to be his godparents. Per Town and Country Magazine, guesses included Markle's close pals, Jessica Mulroney and Benita Litt; along with Harry's friend, Charlie van Straubenzee, and his childhood nanny, Tiggy Pettifer (formerly Legge-Bourke). Some relatives were also reportedly a possibility, including Princess Eugenie.
Archie's godparents aren't totally a surprise
In January 2020, The Sunday Times reported that Archie's godparents are (drumroll please!) Tiggy Pettifer, Mark Dyer, and Charlie van Straubenzee. Some of those early guesses were correct, it seems.
As a close childhood friend of Harry's, van Straubanezee was always one of the top contenders to be Archie's godparent. The Sunday Times first reported that he'd been chosen back in July 2019. One big clue was that Prince William chose van Straubanezee's brother, Thomas, to be godfather to his daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Pettifer, another one of royal spectators' top guesses, used to work as Harry and William's nanny. She was so close to the young princes that she once referred to them as "my babies," according to The Independent. After Princess Diana died in 1997, Pettifer played a special role in Harry and William's life. Though she retired from being a nanny long ago, she's remained close to them both.
Dyer used to work as a royal equerry for Prince Charles. He, too, played a major role in Harry and William's life after their mother's death, and he's now a trustee of a charity co-founded by Harry called Sentebale, per The Independent.
Royal babies usually have at least five godparents, according to Good Housekeeping. Archie only has three, all of whom are from Harry's side. However, it's possible that Archie has more godparents who still haven't been confirmed.
Archie is a 'happy baby' in his new non-royal life
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now settling into their new non-royal life (reportedly in Los Angeles ), and they have continued to keep Archie away from the spotlight — aside from the very occasional snapshot or anecdote, that is. During the Sussexes' farewell tour in the U.K., Markle revealed that Archie is "into everything" (via People) and is starting to try to walk (via Insider).
Sources say that Archie is doing quite well in LA so far. He's "teething and is a happy baby," a source told People. "I'm sure he is happy to be in the California sunshine." As the family adjusts to life in their new home amid the coronavirus pandemic, Archie "brings a great deal of joy" to his parents during "these scary times," according to an E! News source. The source also said that Archie has been "loving doing Facetime playdates with other small children they have in their lives."
"Archie is the priority," a close friend of the couple told People. "It's very much still about taking care of him and putting the family first. He's a happy kid — he loves to laugh."
The source added, "Archie and Harry have such a good time together. And Meghan is a great mom. She's very much about tending to him. They are trying to live their life as regular parents."