Right from the beginning, the affair appeared dubious. A black and white photo showed Meghan holding a slim-faced baby, presumed to be Archie, during the purported christening.
However, keen observers noticed that the chubby-cheeked baby in the baptism photos did not resemble the one in Meghan's picture, raising suspicions about the event's authenticity.
Reportedly held in July 2019 in a private ceremony at Westminster Castle, officiated by Archbishop Justin Welby, the baptism was expected to be attended by several high-profile members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and Camilla. Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth II couldn't attend due to prior commitments elsewhere.
Despite the joyous occasion seemingly celebrated by the royal family, the public was excluded from attending. Only two photos were later released through the Sussex Instagram account, both captured by fashion photographer Chris Allerton, who had previously covered the couple's wedding.
What further fueled intrigue was the archbishop's noticeable absence from the important Church of England sign-on conference in York at the time of the baptism. Senior clerics were left perplexed, unaware of the reason behind his sudden departure.
It turned out that the archbishop had left the four-day meeting in York to officiate Archie's christening, a decision that appeared puzzling and seemed to have been made without proper consultation with others.
Originally scheduled for Friday, July 5th, 2019, the christening had to be moved to the next day due to the unavailability of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. Even then, the Queen couldn't attend, adding to the speculation about the legitimacy of the baptism.
With each revelation, doubts surrounding the authenticity of Archie's baptism continued to grow. The absence of an official baptism certificate cast shadows over what was supposed to be a cherished moment for the royal family.
