While the Royal Family Skipped Princess Lilibet’s Christening, Princess Diana’s Two Sisters Were There

Prince Harry, Prince William, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale

(Image credit: Getty)

published 12 March 2023

One can imagine the late Princess Diana would be pleased with this: Though the royal family didn’t attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Princess Lilibet’s christening this month, Harry did have family in attendance in the form of his mother’s two sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale. The Mirror reports the two were among between 20 to 30 guests at the small ceremony at the Sussex home in Montecito on March 3.

The outlet reports “both Harry and William have remained close with their aunts and uncle on their mother’s side” since Diana’s death in a 1997 car accident. Diana was the third of four siblings—two older sisters and a younger brother, Earl Charles Spencer. Lady Jane gave an emotional reading from Song of Solomon at Harry’s wedding to Meghan in May 2018, and, as Marie Claire reported yesterday, many details from Lilibet’s christening mirrored those of Harry and Meghan’s wedding day nearly five years ago.

Though largely under the radar, Lady Jane and Lady Sarah are often at major events where, had she lived, Diana would have attended, representing their sister and the Spencer side of the family. (Lady Jane and Lady Sarah were also present at the July 6, 2019 christening of Lilibet’s older brother, Prince Archie, held in the U.K. at Windsor Castle.) The last time Harry was pictured alongside his two aunts was in 2021, when he and older brother Prince William unveiled a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace, her longtime home. William and Harry were both seen at the ceremony greeting their aunts with a kiss, The Mirror reports (and is captured in the sweet moment pictured above).

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Even though the royal family didn’t make the trip from the U.K.—whether it was because of logistical reasons or because of ongoing familial rifts, or a mixture of the two—it’s good to know Harry’s family was represented. For her part, Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was in attendance, though it’s not known if any other members of her family were present.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.