Archie’s Godparents Include Prince Harry’s “Second Dad”

In May 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child, Archie. The couple were slow to reveal details of the christening and his godparents, which is understandable given their complicated relationship with the media. It has also been reported in the Times that the couple plan to raise their children as private citizens, rather than in the public eye. Although the ex-royal couple now live in Montecito, California, with famous neighbours including Oprah Winfrey, Ariana Grande and Ellen DeGeneres, all of their children’s godparents are from the UK. They chose two godfathers and one godmother, all of whom have been an important part of Harry’s life. So, who are they?

Who Is Archie’s Godmother?

Harry and Meghan chose Tiggy Pettifer nee Leege-Bourke as Archie’s godmother. As Hartpers Bazaar, reports Pettifer was the nanny to Princes William and Harry from 1993 to 1999. This covered a difficult time in their lives, as the late Princess Diana tragically died in 1999. Pettifer has remained close with Harry over the years, and was seen at his 2018 wedding with Meghan. Prince Harry and Prince William are also godfathers to her sons, Fred and Tom, per the Times.

Who Is Archie’s Godfather?

Unusually, Archie has two godfathers. The first to be announced was Harry’s childhood friend, Charlie van Straubenzee, per Harpers Bazaar. The two first met at Ludgrove Prep School and he is the prince’s oldest friend. When van Straubenzee got married in August 2018, Harry was his best man, as Cosmo notes. Harry returned the favour and asked van Straubenzee to be one of his ushers at the prince’s own wedding the same year.

As Refinery 29 reports, Archie’s second godfather is Mark Dyer — former equerry to Prince Charles. He’s a mentor and close friend to Harry, per The Sun, and the pair have often been photographed together over the years, and he even helped Harry establish his charity, Sentebale. The charity supports children and adolescents in Lesotho who are struggling to come to terms with their HIV or Aids status. This is continuing the important work of his mother, who helped change public perception of the illness. The two are very close, and Harry even refers to Mark as his “second dad,” according to the Daily Mail.

When Was Archie Christened?

Archie was christened in July 2019, two months after his birth. The ceremony took place in a private chapel in Windsor Castle, with just 25 guests in attendance. As BBC notes, the queen did not attend and nor did Prince William and the Duchess of Camridge’s children.

A Royal spokesperson said of the christening: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to share the happiness of this day, and would like to thank everyone around the world for their ongoing support. They feel so fortunate to have enjoyed this special moment with family and Archie's godparents."

Instead of having press photographers, the couple asked Chris Allerton to capture the day and the couple later shared some photographs on their official Instagram account. Allerton also took the photos at Harry and Meghan’s wedding.