Meghan Markle and Prince Harry invited members of the royal family to their daughter Princess Lilibeth’s christening last Friday, PEOPLE has learned.
According to a source, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex extended invitations to King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, but they did not attend.
An insider tells PEOPLE that there were between 20-30 guests at Friday’s intimate gathering, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Lilibeth’s godfather, Tyler Perry, and an unnamed godmother.
When contacted by PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, “I can confirm that Princess Lilibeth Diana was baptized on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Most Reverend John Taylor.”
After their grandfather Charles became monarch following Queen Elizabeth’s death last September, Archie, 3, and Lilibeth were given the titles of prince and princess under rules laid down by King George V in 1917.
Cousin Harriman Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s daughter Princess Lilibeth
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in January, Prince Harry talked about his desire for his children to have meaningful relationship with the royal family.
“I’ve said before that I wanted a family, not an institution – so of course I’d like nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which makes me very happy,” she said. Harry.
Kirsty O’Connor/AP/Shutterstock Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle
CONNECTED: Meghan and Harry’s daughter Princess Lilibeth was christened in an intimate ceremony in California
During a virtual event for his bestselling memoir Spare last weekend, Harry spoke of “feeling increasingly distant” from his family in the UK
That widening gulf became apparent days earlier when it emerged that Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 41, had been kicked out of their home at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England, by King Charles, 74.
Chris Jackson/Getty King Charles and Queen Camilla
A spokesman for the couple confirmed they had been “asked to vacate their residence”, while Charles’ brother Prince Andrew – disgraced for his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – was reportedly offered the five-bedroom residence.
The palace has not commented on the decision, and a royal source said discussions about the move were private family matters.
Observers didn’t miss that the news came after the publication of Harry’s revealing memoir, which deepened the rift between the Duke of Sussex and his family — even though the couple knew about the move before the book’s release, PEOPLE understands.
There is also the question of how the property shake-up will affect Charles’ upcoming coronation on May 6. Harry and Meghan have been invited to the ceremony, but their spokesman says an “immediate decision” on whether they will attend “will not be revealed” at this time.