Prince Philip Won’t Be Attending Prince Harry’s Son’s Christening For This Sweet Reason

Prince Philip will be skipping the christening of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, on Saturday, July 6, due to a touching reason.

While speaking with Express, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that the Duke of Edinburgh has opted to spend quality time with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, on the said date. The couple will be staying at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate this weekend.

Since his retirement two years ago, Prince Philip has been staying in Norfolk, which is not that close to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch is staying. Since she hasn’t retired or abdicated, the Queen needs to be close to her royal duties and engagements.

Just like Prince Philip, the Queen won’t also be attending Archie’s christening in Windsor because of her scheduled royal engagement. But since she’s already in the area, she will also be visiting her husband.

“The Queen had this planned after Holyrood Week which is so significant north of the border. It has been known for some time that she would be unable to attend,” Fitzwilliams said.

Last year, reports swirled that the Queen and the Duke no longer live together even though they are still legally married. A royal source said that since the dad of four’s retirement in 2017, he has only spent a few days at the Buckingham Palace. Prince Philip still prefers to live in Norfolk because he enjoys the peace and tranquility while he’s there.

And even when Prince Philip and the Queen were still living together, they rarely slept in the same room or in the same bed. Royal expert Sally Bedell Smith told Daily Mail that this set up is in keeping with the tradition of the British upper class.

Prince Philip’s cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks told Smith that British upper-class couples don’t also want to be bothered by the snoring so they prefer to sleep in separate bedrooms.