Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Missed Today's Royal Ascot Festivities
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were missed when the royals attended the first day of the 2019 Royal Ascot today. It's typical for members of the royal family to join the queen on the commencement of the five-day annual horse race, but while Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and others arrived at the festivities, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were MIA.
Meghan, who just gave birth to baby Archie in May, is currently on maternity leave, which explains her absence. "It is traditional for new royal mums to take a six-month break from official engagements," royal biographer Duncan Larcombe told BAZAAR.com last year. It's therefore common for royal mothers to "pick and choose" their public appearances after welcoming a child.
The duchess just made her Royal Ascot debut last year in a white Givenchy look. She and Harry affectionately held hands and linked arms throughout the occasion, which took place only about a month after thier royal wedding.
Meghan briefly returned to the public eye earlier this month for Trooping the Colour, the annual royal celebration of the queen's birthday. The event was a "family occasion" rather than a working engagement, and the gravity of the event was likely the reason for Meghan's attendance. "You don’t skip the Queen’s birthday. She’s the Queen!" a source recently explained to People.
While the Duchess of Sussex is expected to stay home during the Ascot this year, it's possible that her husband, Prince Harry, will attend solo at a later date, People points out. The Duke of Sussex has continued both working and personal engagements after Archie's birth, attending obligations such as an Invictus Games event in the Netherlands, the queen's garden parties, and a lunch during the Trumps' visit to Buckingham Palace.
Similarly, the Duchess of Cambridge didn't attend last year's Royal Ascot since she was also on maternity leave after giving birth to Prince Louis. And she had missed several before that. She only attended in 2016 and 2017 prior to today's appearance because she and William were reportedly focusing on raising their young children.
Kate returned to the festivities this year, riding in the second carriage of the royal procession with Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall.
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