- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were absent from day one of the 2019 Royal Ascot, where royals like the queen, Prince William, and Kate Middleton were in attendance.
- The Duchess of Sussex is still on maternity leave.
- It's possible Harry may show up sans Meghan at a later date during the five-day event, People points out.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were missed on 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 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 their royal wedding.
Samir Hussein//Getty ImagesMeghan wears Givenchy at her first Royal Ascot with Prince Harry in 2018.
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.
Samir Hussein//Getty ImagesMeghan and Harry at Trooping the Colour on June 8, 2019.
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.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
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