The Queen’s absence from Archie’s christening hinted at royal tensions with Meghan Markle, a book claims.
Archie’s christening took place at a private chapel in Windsor Castle on July 6, 2019, when he was just two-months-old.
Christenings are typically important events on the royal calendar, with all the senior members of the family attending to watch the very symbolic ceremony take place.
The small group of preselected press that typically photograph the family walking to and from the service were barred from participating, with Prince Harry and Meghan opting instead to release a couple of lovely photos to mark the occasion.
They showed the proud parents holding their baby boy surrounded by loved ones, including Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan's mum Doria and Princess Diana's sisters.
However, one quickly notices a couple of notable absences, namely the Queen and Prince Philip – Archie’s great-grandparents.
The official reason was that she had a prior commitment and, in fairness, had also not attended Prince Louis’ christening in 2018 either.
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But a book released a year later in 2020 reveals that Her Majesty's conspicuous absence from the official ceremony portrait suggests underlying conflict.
The book Royals at War: The Untold Story of Harry and Meghan’s Shocking Split with the House of Windsor provides a possible explanation.
Authors Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claim that the christening came after years of tension between the Queen and the Sussexes, and that she was sending an explicit message by choosing not to attend the high-profile event.
They wrote: "Pointedly, the Queen and Prince Philip stayed away. They had been generous and understanding at their best.
“But they simply now felt publicly embarrassed by Meghan's controlling behaviour, said a well-placed Palace insider."
The Daily Star has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
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