Charles And William Are No-Shows—But Tyler Perry Brought A Gospel Choir

Topline

Princess Lilibet, the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was christened in Los Angeles on Friday—though Harry’s father, King Charles III, is the head of the Church of England—in another sign of a rift between the couple and their royal relatives.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf … [+] 2023 – One Year To Go events on September 06, 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Key Facts

A spokesperson for Archwell, the production company owned by the company, told Forbes on Wednesday, “Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor” of the Episcopal Church.

King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton appear to have been in the U.K. last week, according to an official royal diary, and no visits to the U.S. were announced by the palace.

The four family members were invited to attend, according to People and the BBC.

Between 20 and 30 people attended the christening, which was held at Harry and Meghan’s home in Montecito, Calif., including Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, People reported.

Princess Lilibet’s godfather, actor Tyler Perry, was in attendance, and brought a gospel choir with him from Atlanta to perform at the event, according to People.

The event marks a stark difference from Prince Archie’s 2019 baptism, which was held in the U.K. at Windsor Castle’s private chapel, and attended by senior members of the royal family.

Tangent

The baptism announcement marks the first time Lilibet has been referred to as a princess. Meghan and Harry’s children will now be referred to with the titles Prince and Princess, which they were allowed to use once King Charles ascended the throne after Queen Elizabeth II’s death last year. Buckingham Palace said it would update the royal website to reflect this change, according to the BBC.

Key Background

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and have since spoken out publicly about their conflicts with Prince William and King Charles. Harry most recently detailed the rift between him and his family members in his memoir, Spare. In December, the couple told their side of the story in a Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan. It was reported last week that King Charles asked the couple to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their royal residence in the U.K. and where they first lived after they got married, so that Prince Andrew could move in. Prince Andrew stepped down as a senior member of the royal family when his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell fell under public scrutiny, after Virgina Giuffre claimed the royal sexually assaulted her. Last year, Prince Andrew paid Giuffre a sum, reported to be between $12 and $15 million, to settle a civil lawsuit she brought against him over the sex assault allegations.

What To Watch For

Last week, the Sussexes confirmed they received an invitation via email to King Charles’ coronation in the U.K. in May, though they have not said if they will be in attendance.

Surprising Fact

When Harry and Meghan left the U.K. for Canada, their home was swarmed with paparazzi. Needing more privacy, Tyler Perry offered him one of his homes in California—even though he did not know the couple. Because of the help he provided Meghan and Prince Harry, they asked him to be Princess Lilibet’s godfather. He was featured in their Netflix series.