Prince Harry is behind the plan to keep the names of his son’s godparents a secret.
The royal and his wife, Duchess Meghan, will christen their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, on Saturday (06.07.19) but, breaking with royal tradition, they have decided not to release the names of the tot’s godparents, a decision which was reportedly Harry’s idea.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "People might think Meghan responsible for this whole privacy thing but it is Harry leading the charge. He wants Archie to be a private citizen in every way possible."
A statement from the royals explained: "Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6th July. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton. The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private."
The Church of England added: "Under the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978 all baptisms must be registered and the record made is normally publicly available.
"However the register to be used in this case is held privately by the royal household . . . and we understand that it has never complied with the usual requirement."
Meanwhile, Prince Harry previously opened up about how he desperately wants to be a good role model for his son.
Speaking at the National Youth Mentoring Summit, he said: "I’m struck by a few things today, most of which is the power of the invisible role model. The person who may be sitting here today that doesn’t realise that someone looks up to them, that – for that person – you inspire them to be kinder, better, greater, more successful, more impactful. Perhaps it’s the newfound clarity I have as a father knowing that my son will always be watching what I do, mimicking my behaviour, one day maybe even following in my footsteps.
"But it’s not just my role as a father that shows me that; it’s in the people I see every day that don’t realise how inspirational they are to those watching."
Prince Harry’s secrecy wish
