Baby Archie will wear same robe as his cousins at christening

Keeping with tradition for his official royal christening day on Saturday, baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will wear the same gown that his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis wore for their own ceremonies.

The family heirloom is a copy of the historic royal christening gown which was first worn by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841. It was worn by 62 babies before it was discarded for further use. It was washed with hands in spring water and stored in a dark room between christenings, according to People.

The new gown was designed by Queen Elizabeth's assistant, Angela Kelly, and Buckingham Palace's team of dressmakers in 2008.

Kelly sourced the fabric from Joel & Son Fabrics, the company that supplies cloth to the Queen and her household, and worked with an Italian company to create the Honiton lace lined with a white satin material robe.

"It was recreated in exactly the same way. Even though there was modern machinery, they had to go back to doing a lot of it by hand so there was a mix between by hand and machinery," an insider previously told People.

The designers wanted to make a copy as exact as possible. "It was made from scratch, from sketching it out to embroidering the lace on a special silk-based tulle," said the insider.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed Archie on May 6.

The baby's christening will take place in Queen Elizabeth's private chapel at Windsor Castle, a location the royal couple chose because they "wanted an intimate, peaceful setting in a place with such a special connection to Her Majesty," a source close to the pair told the outlet.

The gathering will be attended by nearly 25 close family members and friends. Photos and portraits will be released the next day.

The royal christenings are typically a private affair, with only close family, friends and godparents in attendance of it.

( With inputs from ANI )