Meghan Markle May Be on Maternity Leave Already

Meghan Markle has always been known as particularly hardworking, and she's been hustling even more since becoming pregnant. Royal experts have been speculating that she wants to get as much as she can done before her maternity leave. But now, she may officially be taking it easy now: She has no more official royal engagements scheduled. 

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Listen. All the British royals work hard. The Queen completed 283 royal engagements in 2018 ALONE. But Meghan Markle has always been known as particularly hardworking, and she's been hustling even more since becoming pregnant. Royal experts have been speculating that she wants to get as much as she can done before her maternity leave, particularly with those four official patronages she received in January. But now, according to Vanity Fair, she may officially be taking it easy now: She has no more official royal engagements scheduled. 

Buckingham Palace didn't confirm this, of course (they rarely make comments like that unless it's an official announcement, like the arrival of the baby), but they did say that Meghan "did not currently have any more official engagements scheduled, but will attend several private meetings."

I haven't heard anything else about Meghan's second baby shower, so if it's happened already it was kept majorly top secret. If it hasn't happened, she has at least one more engagement to look forward to before she's really, truly done—and maybe that's one of the "private" engagements she still has left on her schedule. Meghan's New York shower was an opportunity for her to interact with friends, and she looked like she had an absolute blast, so chances are the second shower will be similar.

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A couple days ago, Meghan attended the 2019 Commonwealth Day service, in typically impressive high heels that she made look effortless. This might be the last official sighting we have of her.

Commonwealth Day 2019

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I have to say: I expected Meghan Markle to be on leave loooooong before this day, so I am IMPRESSED. If reports are accurate, and she's due in late April, she's absolutely deserved the chance to sit back and actually take a break. Of course, I say this, and she will probably come out tomorrow in more fabulous four-inch heels, hustling along like it's no big thing.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.