Why the Queen Will Not Attend Baby Archie's Christening This Weekend

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In May, Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry welcomed their first child into the world, a beautiful son named Archie. Since then, the pair have remained pretty silent about their little bundle of joy, choosing instead to quietly celebrate his first few weeks of life together. That is expected to change this weekend when the royal couple celebrates Archie’s christening with family and friends. However, there is one person who will not be attending the event — Archie’s great-grandmother, the Queen.

According to The Daily Mail, Queen Elizabeth will not be able to attend the christening alongside the rest of the Windsor family due to a prior engagement. That engagement? According to the report, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, planned a quiet vacation together to Sandringham for Holyrood Week several months ago that they just simply cannot miss.

But, as Marie Claire noted, it’s really not a big deal that the Queen will not be in attendance. In fact, she’s missed the christenings of several of her great-grandchildren. Though she was on hand for both Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s big day, she was not in attendance for Prince Louis' baptism last year.

The Daily Mail also noted that the date of Archie’s christening was already moved once. Archie’s original christening date was reportedly Friday, July 5, however, Meghan and Harry chose to move it to Saturday to accommodate Harry’s father, Prince Charles.

Still, Harry and Meghan’s decision to not move the date again to accommodate the Queen came as a surprise to some staffers at the royal residence.

“There is huge support for the couple in not wanting to conform to tradition,” a senior staff member from Buckingham told The Daily Mail. “They are young, they are striking out on a different path from other members of the Royal Family and there is enormous goodwill for them. But they shouldn’t do that without regard for tradition.” The staff member added, “Her Majesty was already scheduled to be in Scotland for her annual Holyrood Week and had a prior engagement at the weekend. There is a feeling amongst some that they should have been more accommodating about the date.”

But, as anyone who’s ever thrown a family event before will tell you, trying to align every single person’s schedule is a nightmare. Nevermind the fact that the great-grandmother in this situation is the freaking Queen of England. So, perhaps people should just let this one slide for Harry, Meghan, and Archie’s sakes.

Oh, and sorry fans, we aren’t invited to the christening either. Harry and Meghan have denied access to photographers and videographers and will not allow any recordings of the royal family arriving. However, the couple did note it will release a small number of photos to the press following the event and you’ll likely be able to check them out on the couple’s Instagram account as well.

All the Baby Names Kate Middleton and Prince William Have Boosted in Popularity

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This story was originally published on September 21, 2017.

Little Prince George may only be four years old, but according to the Office for National Statistics, he’s already a huge tastemaker.

The prince, who just recently had his first day of school, appears to be following in his mother’s footsteps by influencing the British people in big ways, even with just his name.

As the office recently revealed, one of the most popular baby names for 2016 in both Wales and England was indeed George, and it was no doubt inspired by the adorable royal.

According to Vogue, the moniker George appeared to plateau in the early 2000s, hovering between the 16th and 12th most popular name in the United Kingdom. However, after July 22, 2013, the day the new heir to the throne arrived, the name quickly began to rise. In 2014, Vogue noted, it made it into the top 10, in 2015 it was the fourth most popular name, and in 2016 it came in at number three.

And it’s not just George creating a rush for royal names. Little Charlotte, who will soon be a big sister, also caused a huge spike in the popularity of her classic name. Charlotte, according to one name tracking site, plummeted in popularity over the years, falling to the 25th most popular name in the United Kingdom. However in 2015, when Charlotte was born, all that changed. Now the name has skyrocketed back up to the number 12 spot.

Related: Prince William Hints Kate Middleton's Due Date Might Be 'Sooner Than You Think'

Even the names the royals simply discuss for their new heirs appear to trend, according to Vogue.

“When Kate was pregnant last time with Charlotte we had a huge surge of interest in the name Alice. So much so, that the name went from being a 50:1 outsider to the 5:2 favorite,” Katie Baylis, spokeswoman for Betfair, a bookmaker, told Vogue.

Joe Crilly, spokesperson for William Hill, another bookmaker, agreed, adding, “Most of the names towards the top of the betting are ones which have been popular the last two times around and we expect they will be again.”

So will the royal couple’s third child cause a naming trend? It’s likely, especially when you consider bookmakers are favoring more classic names like Alice, which according to the Telegraph is currently the firm favorite for a girl at 7/1 odds, while Arthur, at 10/1, is the male favorite. Other potentials to keep an eye out for — and ones that could see an upcoming bump in popularity as well — are Victoria, Alexandra, Albert, and Philip. 

Here's a Breakdown of the Top 10 British Royals in Line for the Throne Now That Baby Sussex Has Arrived

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On May 6, 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child into the world, a boy.

On that day not only did the world meet the newest royal, but it also saw the line of royal succession change forever. As royal historian Alex David explained, “The birth of Baby Sussex… means that for the first time the first 20 people in the line of succession to the British throne are all descendants of Queen Elizabeth II. The Earl of Snowdon, son of Princess Margaret, is now pushed to 21st place.”

Related: Harry and Meghan's New Baby Will Have Two Passports

As of now, Baby Sussex sits as the seventh in line for the throne. But who else is still in the mix to lead the kingdom? Keep scrolling to find out the top people who are in the real-life game of thrones.

Prince Charles

Prince Charles is the Queen’s first-born son and is next in line to take over the throne. As The Telegraph noted, Charles already holds the record for the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. At the ripe old age of 68, Charles will also be the oldest person to be crowned in British history when the time comes.

Prince William

Prince William currently sits as third in line to the throne and will one day take over as king, following his father, the Prince of Wales. He will then be followed in line by his own son, Prince George.

Prince George

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's first-born son will one day be King George VII. As The Telegraph rather morbidly noted, the birth of Prince George means that anyone “alive today is unlikely to see another queen on the throne in their lifetime once Elizabeth II's reign is over.”

Princess Charlotte

Princess Charlotte is the youngest person in line for the throne, but she could perhaps be the most impactful royal of all. While, like her Uncle Harry, she is the “spare to the heir,” Charlotte could make history one day thanks to a change under the Succession to the Crown Act. As The Telegraph explained, in 2013, the rule changed so that princes no longer take precedence over their sisters, bringing an end to the system of male preference, which had been in place since the Act of Settlement of 1701. So, if George were to abdicate, Charlotte would take the throne (regardless of whether or not Will and Kate ever have a second son). 

Prince Harry

Prince Harry, whose real name is actually Prince Henry (who knew?), now sits as the fifth person in line to the throne, following the birth of both his niece and nephew. But, instead of pining away for his place in the kingdom, Harry focuses much of his attention now on volunteering and serving non-profits around the globe, just like his mother, Princess Diana.

Baby Sussex

Seventh in line for the throne, the son of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will also likely have to put his dreams of being the reigning monarch to the side. But, the little prince will still live a rather lavish life as a royal thanks to his parents being the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew, who was once second in line for the throne, is now so far removed from it that he no longer is required to attend official royal engagements, according to The Telegraph. The brother of Prince Charles even has to self-fund his family’s bodyguards because he is no longer considered “core” to the royal family. Ouch.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew, sits in the number seven spot on our list. Although she will likely never rule over England, she still is frequently spotted at royal engagements. Like Harry, she too has taken up a life of service and often spends her time volunteering for various organizations.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice’s younger sister, sits eighth in line for the throne. Like her sister, she too frequents royal engagements, however she has also made a life for herself outside of her royal duties. According to British Royals, Eugenie moved to New York in 2013 to work for an online auction firm as a benefit auctions manager.

Prince Edward

Prince Edward is the third son and the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth. After a “cringe-worthy” career in television, Edward has now become a full-time royal. Since his wedding in 1999, Edward has been known as the Earl of Wessex, while his wife Sophie became Countess of Wessex. He is vice patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, and it is believed he will inherit the title of Duke of Edinburgh when his father, Prince Philip, passes.