Inside Louis’ Emotional Christening

Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge was christened July 9 inside the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London — the same spot where big brother George was baptized in 2013. Mom Kate, says a source, “shed a few tears” at the unusually small gathering, which was attended only by immediate family and six godparents. Siblings Charlotte and George “were quite intrigued — they kept asking all kinds of questions,” says the source. “The only thing missing from the glorious day was Louis’ great-grandparents — the queen and Prince Philip — who were sadly unable to attend due to their busy schedules.”

family in the near future” — the pressure to give him children “felt like a huge weight on Meghan’s shoulders,” says the source. “Everyone expected her to get pregnant immediately.” Indeed, when Queen Elizabeth II found out, “she burst into happy tears,” says the source.

With Kate, however, no one expected her to get pregnant so soon — least of all as a mother of three herself! William, 36, “was initially shocked when Kate told him he’s going to be a dad again, but he now sees it as a happy surprise. He and Kate have always wanted four kids,” says the source. And this time around, adds the source, she gets to share the ups and downs of pregnancy with not only her younger sister, Pippa, 34, who is due with her first child in a few months, but her new sister-in-law, too. “Kate and Meghan are in the same boat,” says the source, “and can support each other.”

The baby news has certainly brought them closer. After Harry and Meghan’s May wedding, Kate retreated from the spotlight to focus on newborn Louis and his siblings, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince George, 4, while Meghan embraced a new front-and-center role representing the royal family, which led to tension between the two royals. “Kate and Meghan went through a phase where they became competitive as they both fought to get the queen’s attention,” says the source. “But that’s all water under the bridge now. They both want their kids to grow up together in a loving environment.”

ROYAL BABY PREP They’re already planning playdates (at Kensington Palace and their country homes, naturally) and sharing advice. Kate “has penned a pregnancy food list for Meghan that’s full of nutritious things to eat and is advising her on how to balance motherhood with life as a royal,” says the source. Fitness devotee Meghan, whose mother, Doria Ragland, is a yoga instructor, is returning the favor by teaching Kate pregnancy yoga!

They’re also letting William and Harry dote on them. “William is doing his best to help Kate relax by being a hands-on father to George, Louis and Charlotte,” says the source. “He brings Kate tea and cookies in bed,” including lavender biscuits, which are known to help with nausea. (Kate suffered from severe morning sickness, called hyperemesis gravidarum, during her previous pregnancies.) Kate, adds the source, “is convinced she’s having another girl because she’s having the same cravings for sweets that she did when she was pregnant with Charlotte. She can’t stop thinking about Cadbury’s chocolates and cookies.”

Meghan is hoping for one of each — a boy and a girl — says the insider, and she and Harry are already talking names. While Alice and Mary are on Kate and William’s short list, says the source, Harry and Meghan like Jack, James, Olivia and Poppy. “Meghan would love to use [their moms’ first names] Doria and Diana as middle names,” says the source. And while it’s royal tradition to give birth in London, Meghan wants to deliver in the U.S., where she was born.

TEARFUL MOMENTS It’s an especially emotional time for Meghan, who is estranged from much of her family on her dad’s side. “She’s very up and down,” says the source. “But Harry has been a calming influence.” He and his brother are happier than they ever could have imagined. “When William jokes that double trouble lies ahead, Harry corrects him and says it’s double the joy!” says the source. “This is a dream come true for both couples.” ◼

‘‘ Family is everything to Meghan and Kate” — A SOURCE