Inside Meghan Markle's secret baptism at St James's Palace

Tuesday night saw Meghan Markle undertake a poignant baptism ceremony, surrounded by the royals who are soon to become her family.

The 36-year-old was joined by Prince Harry for the baptism, which officially welcomed her into the Anglican faith.

Meghan was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Wellby, according to the Daily Mail. It's said that the soon-to-be royal has formed a close bond with him during preparations for their upcoming wedding - and asked him personally to lead the ceremony.

Harry and Meghan were joined by Prince Charles and Camilla for the special event - although it's not clear if Meghan's parents Doria and Thomas attended.

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To make the celebrations even more special, Meghan was baptised with water from the River Jordan, taken from the Royal family's own private font.

Meghan was not actually required to be baptised before her May 19th wedding to Harry. However, it's said that she chose to do so, out of respect for the Queen's role as head of the Church of England.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Rex)

Straight after the baptism, Meghan also had her confirmation. The move means that during their wedding, Meghan will be able to join her husband for Holy Communion.

The intimate, 45-minute service was kept a close secret - with only a handful of royal aides involved in preparations.

Meghan also had two sponsors close by to guide her through the ceremony, and it's thought that one was her close friend, Jessica Mulroney.

Jessica - a bridal stylist who is also thought to be helping Meghan with her gown - is also said to have attended the church service.

Reportedly, the couple and their few attendees held a dinner at Clarence House after the service, hosted by Charles and Camilla.

Prince Harry's fiancee of course follows in the Duchess of Cambridge's footsteps with the service.

While Catherine was baptised into the faith as a baby, she had her confirmation just before marrying Prince William.

The Chapel Royal also holds a touching significance for the royal family. It is where Princess Diana's body was was laid in the week before her funeral. Prince George also had his christening there, in 2013.

Amy Hunt

Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.