Photos Of Baby Archie's Christening Have Been Released (& They're Devastatingly Adorable)

The final step in royal baby protocol has come. On Sat., July 6, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was christened in the Queen's private chapel at Windsor Castle. The Sussex royals celebrated the historic occasion by sharing rare photos of the possible future prince on Instagram.

Finally, the most private royal baby has made his fourth public appearance, this time following his much-anticipated christening. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have kept their new addition hidden away in Frogmore Cottage since his May 6 birthday, only offering intermittent glimpses of baby Archie via a couple Instagram photos and a photocall in St. George's Hall days after he was born.

Now, Buckingham Palace is offering up two precious pictures of the newly christened Windsor surrounded by his royal kin. The first is a family photo similar to the ones taken during Kate Middleton and Prince William's children's baptisms in the past.

It shows Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Markle's mother Doria Ragland, Sarah McCorquodale and Jane Fellowes (Princess Diana's two sisters), and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge surrounding the new family of three in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, according to the Royal Family Twitter.

The Queen was not present, as you can see. The monarch has been absent from the past two christenings of her great-grandchildren (Prince Louis, too) due to her busy schedule.

The second photo is a more intimate black-and-white shot of the Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie in the Rose Garden. In the photos, Archie is wearing the traditional Honiton christening gown that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all wore during their baptisms.

The extravagent lace-adorned dressing gown is, in fact, a replica of the one Queen Victoria's firstborn originally sported (which was worn by more than 60 babies after her). Archie was baptised over the Lily Font, a silver basin that's been in the family since 1841, with water from the River Jordan, People reported.

"Their Royal Highnesses feel fortunate to have enjoyed this day with family and the godparents of Archie," the Instagram caption says. Those godparents, per the couple's request, will be kept a secret.

Markle and Prince Harry made a vow to keep Archie's childhood a private affair and they've stuck to their word. Save the occasional Instagram post, the public barely knows anything about the seventh in line to the British throne.

Perhaps we'll get to know the little guy a bit better when he joins his parents on their upcoming Africa tour.