The Royals Were Invited to Lilibet's Los Angeles Christening, But Reportedly Declined the Invitation
...really?


There's a lot happening right now on Planet Royal.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes officially confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet, 21 months, was christened in California last week.
"I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor," the rep told People.
I want to pause here for a moment for us all to notice that the spokesperson referred to the little girl as Princess Lilibet, which is very significant, and will be ruffling feathers throughout the land as I write this.
While Archie and Lili were automatically entitled to use the titles of "Prince" and "Princess" when Queen Elizabeth passed away and their grandfather became monarch, it was unclear whether King Charles would be actively encouraging them to use these titles, whether he might let them choose whether or not to use them at age 18, or whether he would ban them from using the titles altogether.
To this day, the official line of succession lists the kids as "Master Archie" and "Miss Lilibet," which might indicate that the Sussexes decided to refer to Lili as "Princess" without consulting Charles. (I don't know enough about how this works to confirm whether or not that's the case, FYI.)
Anyway, a source also told People that King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate were invited to Lili's christening, but apparently chose to skip the event.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
This feels like a fairly heartless choice to me, considering the little girl isn't even two years old and it would have been nice for her to know that she was surrounded by family for the milestone. With that said, we also don't know how much notice the royals were given ahead of the event, and if it was just a few weeks, there's no way they could have canceled all their engagements and jetted off to California. Nuance, people.
However, Prince Harry has previously said that he's tried everything to mend his relationship with his family. "It never needed to get to this point. I’ve had conversations, I’ve written letters, I’ve written emails, and everything," the prince told Tom Bradby in January.
He implied that the ball was in their court, but still invited them to his daughter's christening. On their end, the royals invited the Sussexes to the coronation. Let's see if they can use these silver linings to reconcile, but I'm seriously starting to lose hope.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Sydney Sweeney's Back-to-Back Miu Miu Dresses Prove Opposites Attract
She lit up London in two extremely different gowns.
-
Antonia Gentry Proves the Coach Tabby Bag Won't Quit
She carried the new classic to an intimate Coach event.
-
Why King Charles's "Olive Branch" Could Be a "Huge Problem"
"It would send a message that would not be appropriate at the moment," a royal expert explained.
-
Queen Elizabeth Was "Emphatically Not Interested in Fashion" But Used Her Clothing to Send Important Messages
"Nothing is left to chance," a courtier once said.
-
Prince William and Prince Harry Could Be "Tempted" to Secretly Bid on Their Mother's Outfits in New Auction
Who could blame them?
-
King Charles Is Set to Break Royal Tradition After News He's "Unlikely" to Follow in Queen Elizabeth's Footsteps
It will be a royal first.
-
Why King Charles Will Be "Forced" to Skip One Trooping the Colour Tradition in 2025 and "Leave It Behind Forever"
It's the end of an era.
-
How a "Last-Minute" Message Called an Urgent "Ceasefire" Between Prince Harry and Prince William After Queen Elizabeth Died
"They are better and stronger together than they are apart."
-
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Paid Tribute to Princess Diana With Princess Lilibet's 4th Birthday Celebration
The Sussexes spent "two days of pure joy" at Disneyland with their children.
-
Prince William Says Family Can Be a "Mixed Bag" Amid Rift With Prince Harry
The Prince of Wales referenced tough family dynamics during a chat with soldiers.
-
Princess Lilibet Has Prince Harry's Eyes in Adorable New Fourth Birthday Photos
Proud mom Meghan shared some unseen photos of Lili—and she looks just like her dad.