The Duke & Duchess of Sussex are taking ‘six weeks off’ around the holidays?

Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex attend the WellChild Awards

Please, no threadjacking! I promise that we will cover all of the royal stories in their own time. At the moment, we’re discussing this very odd report which came out over the weekend, ahead of Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. Almost as if *someone* wanted this story to be packaged alongside Harry and Meghan talking about how difficult it’s been to deal with the smear campaign. This is a story which, at a basic level, is about a young royal family setting boundaries and taking some time off. But of course it’s about a lot more than that too.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take six weeks off from Royal duties for some ‘much-needed family time’, it was reported on Saturday night. The break follows Harry and Meghan’s ten-day tour of southern Africa, footage of which will be seen on ITV Sunday night in a documentary by broadcaster Tom Bradby. Speaking ahead of the programme, Mr Bradby, a friend of Harry, said he believed the couple are ‘vulnerable and bruised’. In the hour-long documentary, Harry reportedly voices his desire to leave the UK, describing Cape Town in South Africa as ‘an amazing place to be able to base ourselves’. He, however, acknowledged that such a move would be very difficult, if not impossible.

A Royal source told The Sunday Times: ‘The Duke and Duchess have a full schedule of engagements and commitments until mid-November, after which they will be taking some much-needed family time.’

The couple are expected to spend their first Christmas with their son Archie, who was born in May, with the Queen and other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Norfolk. It is understood they will fly to Los Angeles next month to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

[From The Daily Mail]

I think this is something that probably originally came from the Sussexes, like they told people at the palace that they were going to LA for Thanksgiving, and that they wanted a light, easy Christmas, and it got twisted – purposefully twisted – into “the Sussexes are taking six weeks off.” We’ve seen that happen before – people within Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace are super-eager to break news about the Sussexes and put a negative spin on every plan they make. Besides, they can’t really take off for six weeks – there are tons of royal appearances and royal events in November and December. Next we’ll hear the narrative of “well, the Sussexes were planning to take six weeks off but the Queen/Charles/William ordered them not to!”

The Royal Family attends a Service to commemorate the Armistice on the centenary of the end of WWI

doria3

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and WENN.

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104 Responses to “The Duke & Duchess of Sussex are taking ‘six weeks off’ around the holidays?”

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  1. broodytrudy says:

    As long as they’re (mostly Harry) working pretty consistently up until that point, I don’t see the problem? They’ve worked more than Will and Kate, and I’d expect the Cambridges to take that much time off as well while doing less than half the work as we’ve seen in the past. 🙄

    I hope they have some great bonding time with Archie over the holidays! And I’m kind of hoping for a photo of Archie with a Santa hat!

    • kodakay says:

      …and his Nana!

    • Jadedone says:

      I’m not sure where e everyone gets the impression that Harry is so hard working, he is just like his brother and I hope Meghan has a positive influence on his work ethic. William has done 20 more events this year than Harry according to the numbers. They are both put to shame by their Father who by June 2019 had already done over 300 engagements, 3x that of his sons. Even the pedo Andrew did more engagements then Harry and Will.

      • JulieCarr says:

        Thank you! Harry might make more of an impression when he deigns to put in a few hours work, but he’s just as lazy and work-shy as William.

        It’s appalling how little they do, and there’s absolutely no excuse for it now that they’re both grown men not far off middle age. It’s clear now that they’re never going to grow into their roles and start stepping up…they’re going to do the bare minimum forever.

      • Cerys says:

        I couldn’t agree more. Neither William or Harry have inherited a work ethic from their father. They are happy to accept the perks of being Royal without the responsibilities.

      • PrincessK says:

        Toting up the number of engagements is silly, it’s the quality of the engagement and the impact that counts.

      • Jadedone says:

        @princess I’m sorry but that’s bull. How does one determine the “quality” of an engagement? And even you could determine the “quality” of an engagement why does that inhibit them from doing more quality engagements? Why cant they pull in the same numbers as their 70 year old father and 69 year old Aunt?

      • L4frimaire says:

        What exactly is considered “work”. Are you referring to just ribbon cutting ceremonies and stopping in at charities and receptions, like WellChild awards, or actually doing behind the scenes work? Things like setting up foundations, planning projects to launch, taking meetings with patronages , briefings and preparing for tours. For example, Meghan’s SmartWorks projects, I’m sure a lot of work and planning went into that, but the launch party and speech is the only thing considered the work.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Sentebale and Invictus Games prove you wrong.

      • Jadedone says:

        @notasugarhere I’m sorry how does Sentebale and Invictus Games prove me wrong?

        @L4frimaire are we getting caught in semantics now? I dont know about you but I get up every morning and go to a job and I stay there for at least 8 hours. I dont think its unreasonable to expect that the younger Royals do more work, real work. 100 engagements in 6 months for Will is not okay with me. If they want all the perks of being a royal they should ALL being doing the work to substantiate their positions. Also it should be noted that even christening of their own children is added to their work count, ridiculous.

      • broodytrudy says:

        @jadedone, I completely agree. The amount of work Will, Kate, and Harry do is not enough, but by comparison, Harry seems not only a harder worker, but more engaged when he does work.

        Meg obvs gets a pass on this one and really all future work since she does seem so engaged (and you know, baby and racist garbage), and she’s not slotted to be a traditionally “important” member, for lack of a better term. Will gonna be a bad King, Kate’s going to be an awful Queen, and Harry will always be the younger brother of the King, so Meg is a bit on the outs traditionally, regardless of her popularity. Unless I’m missing a chunk in BRF family history, of course.

        It’s too bad the BRF won’t lean into her and let her lead since she is obviously capable, engaging, and popular. If W&K weren’t so fragile with their egos, the BRF could be much more popular with Meg at the forefront. She’s the greatest asset they’ve had in years, and obviously the hardest worker.

      • L4frimaire says:

        @Jaded, just asking the question. What do you mean by work? Do you mean how many engagements they attend, or office time ? They all have offices, secretaries, staff, foundations, so they must be doing something between those engagements. The actual nature of that work, how many hours they put in etc, is it really quantified? Maybe they’re just going out riding or going shopping when they’re not showing up to whatever event is scheduled ? No idea. I think some people put in more time than other’s and sure they can do a lot more, especially outside of London. I’m just not sure what all these engagements are, how much time is involved, and what they do there.

      • Derriere says:

        I have the impression that there is more “work” being put into the engagements and projects coming from the Sussexes, a lot of pre-planning that we aren’t privy to in order to keep things under wraps until the big “unveiling.” There is a lot less empty ribbon-cutting and photo ops which, while fun to cover, don’t seem to have a lasting impact. There’s a reason why we feel like Harry and Meghan are still doing work even if their official numbers are less. They are properly positioning themselves and leaving a lasting impact on the organizations and causes they champion.

    • Zazu says:

      My only concern is that doing the work, having public events that are so successful, has been really positive as a counter- narrative since Meghan finished mat leave. When she was on the break is when the media had their nasty field day with wall to wall negative coverage. I feel like one week off for American Thanksgiving, a few early Dec appearances, then 2-3 weeks at Christmas, would be a better balance.

      • broodytrudy says:

        I can’t imagine they will literally do nothing in December. Even if they’re with Doria in LA, I’m sure we’ll see them doing something. They aren’t going to go completely dark, they have too many projects lined up. I do think they’ll take a breather and try to enjoy the holidays, but not doing anything doesn’t seem like them.

    • Louise177 says:

      Don’t all of the Royals have limited engagements in Nov/Dec? Seems much ado about nothing? Which is the British press theme song when it comes to the Sussex’s.

      • broodytrudy says:

        I think so. We’ll see them here and there, but not to the extent we have. Next year will be a tell tale year for whether or not they’re “stepping back”. Archie will be a bit older and we’ll go from there.

        But at this point, for us commenters at least, comparing work ethic of Cambridge vs. Sussexes. Sussexes should be judged on how much they previously worked, and Cambridges should be held against them, not the other way around, right? Meg and Harry are crushing them and should be the standard.

  2. Erinn says:

    Is she still considered on maternity leave? If she is, she should be allowed all the time off she wants. And if she’s not still on it, they still should be allowed at least SOME downtime.

    I can see them still doing the scheduled appearances related to the holidays, but slowing their roll when it comes to actual projects. And I think they should – honestly. They’ve gone through a lot, and they deserve a bit of time to sort through their emotions and just enjoy being a family for a bit. That’s sort of what the holidays are all about, anyway.

    I do think they’re probably still going to be working for the most part, though. Because they don’t seem like the type to not be doing SOMETHING. I could see them taking a LITERAL break if Archie was a bit bigger – a toddler because they’d be able to do ‘more’ with him holiday wise. But either way, I hope they do what is best for them.

    And hot damn, I love her hair and that green dress. I maintain that he’s hitting out of his league with Meg, because she truly is a beautiful woman inside and out.

    • Arizona says:

      I don’t think she’s still considered on maternity leave, I believe this trip to Africa was the end of for maternity leave? I might be wrong there. either way, I don’t see any issue with them taking 6 weeks around the holidays. I kind of think that they need it for their mental well-being and their marriage. although you’re right, I can’t see them completely not working at all for that time period.

      • Ponytail says:

        I’d be surprised – she hasn’t even had six months, which is the norm for most jobs, where maternity pay is given anyway.

      • Megan says:

        They need a break from the snobby, racist courtiers and RRs. Plus, most of Meghan’s friends probably have not met Archie so spending some time in LA seems like a good place to recharge.

      • Erinn says:

        Yeah, I’m honestly not sure what her status is as far as leave goes. It sort of seems like it might be over, but I could have sworn she was taking 6 months or so? Maybe I’m wrong on that.

        But I think they can rest and be away from the RRs and courtiers while being in LA and still having a few meetings with ongoing projects either with skype or in person depending on the organization/individual.

  3. Emily says:

    The Cambridges are constantly taking 6 week breaks. If the Sussexes are getting dragged for this then the Cambridges should be called out as well.

    • Deanne says:

      But Wills and Kate have just come back from a triumphant 6 day trip to Pakistan. so they’ve earned it. I’m obviously being sarcastic. The level of hypocrisy in how differently these two couples are treated by the British press is staggering.

    • Mumbles says:

      Agreed. Let’s call all of them out. Six weeks is very long – for the Sussexes and the Cambridges. And it’s not exactly six weeks off from working in a coal mine or digging ditches.

  4. Caitlin says:

    I think you’re right and they’re taking a trip to LA for thanksgiving, and maybe even skipping over to her friends in Canada while she’s (relatively) close by. And then back to the Royal Christmas duties.
    Though part of me does wonder if it’s too early for baby no.2? I know it’s early, and we as a society shouldn’t be pressuring them. But with lots of respect to Meghan, her fertility may be something they’re thinking about with regards to family planning.

    • AB says:

      You might have a point, but I just want to add that male fertility and fecundity degrades with age as well! So they should both be considering such a thing.

    • FC says:

      Baby planning was my thought, too. Either she’s already pregnant or trying, and understandably needs time out of the hellscape spotlight.

  5. S808 says:

    Meghan worked all throughout her pregnancy, a time where she had every right to not lift a finger so I’ll believe it when I see it.

    • sandy says:

      What? Most women work up until their due date, unless they’re in the hospital for complications. I had pretty complicated pregnancies myself and worked up until I gave birth.

      • S808 says:

        Meghan was on maternity leave. As in leave from working and she still churned out projects. My point being I don’t expect them to spend 6 weeks not working especially seeing as their foundation launches next year.

      • DS9 says:

        Yes, Sandy. We know but that’s not the point.

        Brits get mat leave and brit royals definitely get mat leave so working during mat leave should earn Meghan some breathing room.

      • Gingerbee says:

        Not all women are the same. Some work up to the end, some a few weeks before the birth.

  6. Kittycat says:

    Like the Sussexes have major projects coming up with their foundation and patronages so them taking 6 weeks off is a joke.

  7. Aang says:

    I don’t get why, and this goes for William and Kate too, the actual royals (William and Harry) can’t “work” a regular schedule. While the children are young the mother can “work” part time and the gradually take on more engagements. I’m sure the men can set schedule boundaries that allow them to be home for dinner and bedtime with the children most days of the week. This just doesn’t seem like such a taxing lifestyle that it requires multiple weeks long breaks every year. Just say upfront what the work schedule will be and stick to it. I know each engagement can’t be planned so far in advance but just say “I’ll work Monday -Friday and every other Saturday while my children are small.” Instead we get these weird announcements of long breaks peppered throughout the year. Or not even announcements and they just disappear (W&k). And I’ll reiterate – this goes for all of them. I’m not picking on Meghan so please don’t go crazy. ** I’ll add that all, every word, I know about the royals comes from reading this page**

    • Becks1 says:

      I think most of us here agree with you. I know its been said about Kate before – she could set up a schedule where she did 2 engagements 3 days a week in the mornings and one weekend a month and she would blow her numbers out of water compared to what she normally does. William, in his limited defense, has increased his numbers over the past few years but they are still not what you would expect from the future king. It’s hard to tell with Meghan since she seems to like to work behind the scenes a great deal, and she was pregnant/with a newborn, so we dont have a feel for what her typical work schedule will be like.

      Even when the Queen and Charles go “on break” they still usually do a few appearances here and there. Its W&K who really just disappear for months at a time.

  8. Millennial says:

    I kind of wonder if Charles or the Queen effectively asked/heavily suggested they take time off

    • Esme says:

      I think it’s more something along the lines of having the option to disappear/be unavailable if the press’ backlash gets too intense.
      I don’t think the S are following the advice of the Palace for their last moves.

      • Millennial says:

        Yeah, I guess I’m just over here surprised that Charles particularly hasn’t made a move, so I’m wondering if this was one? Maybe even his leak? Who knows.

      • Esme says:

        @Millenial
        I’m not sure Charles has to make a “move” in this situation, he may just want to let his son succeed or fail under his own steam.
        Harry is in charge of managing the press over his marriage, that has been made very clear.

        Also, Charles is good at the long game (see the rehabilitation of Camilla, my favorite Duchess of Booze and Pearls), not sure he’ll want to play any part just now

    • FC says:

      Guys, I hate to say this, but it feels like they really are about to break away from the BRF, either voluntarily or by force. They are laying the groundwork for it with the documentary, preparing us for their big move whilst throwing the sh*tty RRs under the bus.

      • PrincessK says:

        You could be right. But l think that Harry has too much respect for the Queen to break away while she is on the throne.

  9. aquarius64 says:

    Sounds like normal period off for family and family is Doria in the US for Turkey Day and the BRF for Christmas. NO MARKLES. All stories about Archie’s first Thanksgiving and Christmas with Bad Grandpa have been effectively shut down. No clickbait for the tabloids, no payday for the Markles.

  10. Becks1 says:

    Well, people DO say they want them to be more like Will and Kate. So a 6 week break sounds about right.

    Joking/sarcasm aside – this doesnt seem like a thing, so its funny that someone is trying to make into a thing. If they do take that long a break with NO engagements (Which I will believe when/if it happens, considering Harry barely took a break when Archie was born) around the holidays, then it just seems like they are taking family time to travel and to enjoy Archie’s first christmas. Its not a big deal but the timing of this “announcement” is suspicious.

  11. RedRoyal says:

    Hope they will ghost the RF on Christmas Day.

    • Harla says:

      My thought exactly RedRoyal! I’d love for them to be able to spend a quiet, relaxing time at Frogmore with Doria and a few close friends.

  12. TeddyPicker says:

    It’s not really fair to frame it as ‘6 weeks off’ like you would think of annual leave for a 9-5 job. They do a mixture of public events (day and night) and private meetings, so their schedule isn’t really conducive to regular, set working days. A day’s work for them could be coordinating with their team and taking meetings in private or 1 big, press-filled event in the morning and then they’re done for the day.

  13. Celebitchy says:

    If you want us to keep the trolls off this thread comment “troll” with no quotes that’s it. That way we can see the comment before 15 people reply. Don’t feed the trolls.

  14. Mtec says:

    My guess is they’ll still probably be working behind the scenes just not doing engagements etc… they are known for putting in the work bts before something is announced or launched.

    Plus im sure many people take time off during the holidays, the Cambridges included.

  15. Busyann says:

    My memory is a little hazy on this, but don’t most royals go dark near the holidays? I always feel like they have a big push off work from September through December, then go dark until February. At least that’s the precedent the Cambridges set. Meghan is still an American so of course she would want to celebrate that holiday with her young family. It’s a very very festive time and Thanksgiving in LA is magical.

    • Sonia says:

      “Thanksgiving in LA is magical”? Lmfao what? As a SoCal native I gotta question what you’re smoking.

      • Busyann says:

        No, I’m not smoking anything. I’m referring to the way it gets slightly cooler, and sometimes you can start to see snow on the mountains. If the Santa Ana’s are stirring up it’s warm, but windy, and I don’t know, it always seemed to be a different, festiveness in the air. I moved to LA from the south and as a huge fan of Autumn, I wasn’t expecting to see much of a change in seasons, since SoCall tends to really just have one season. If you’re open to it, you can see small differences and yes, that time of the year can be magical.

      • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

        Busyann, I agree with you. L.A. here, and when the holidays start kicking off, it IS magical, at least where I live in the BH/WLA area. The streets (esp. Wilshire, Rodeo Dr., Beverly Dr.) are all lit up, the store windows are decorated…there’s an “air”, I guess… people are nicer to each other lol… it’s just great.

        On a personal note, as a person who’s birthday is the day before Halloween, I start my celebrating now lol. I’m decked out for Halloween, and will transition to Thanksgiving Nov. 1. After Turkey Day, I will put up my Hanukkah decorations ( LOVE that it’s close to Christmas this year), and start playing the Sirius Christmas music with the top down, full blast 😊, and Dec. 1 start my holiday dvd rotations. Yes, I am one of “those” people lol. I LOVE the holidays!

        I hope H&M can lose themselves in Archie’s first holiday season, too!

      • Erinn says:

        As someone living on the maritime provinces- I’d assume it IS pretty magical haha. I freeze my butt off, and I’d imagine the temperatures are actually quite lovely in LA during the holidays – probably similar to our late spring early summer weather here. Add in the decorations and the mountains, and I’d say that sounds pretty freaking magical.

    • Penny says:

      LA native here, I agree that Thanksgiving is magical…we’re lucky enough to have a “cool” but not really cold holiday season…decorations are already up so everything feels festive. My birthday is in November so it’s one of my favorite months, autumn is my favorite season, and I appreciate that the weather isn’t terrible. I hope family Sussex come to visit and enjoy themselves, are given privacy and respect.

  16. HK9 says:

    They work more than Will & Kate no matter what so this isn’t an issue for me.

  17. Loretta says:

    It’s so nice that Harry,Meghan and baby Archie will spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Doria. Doria will be so happy to see them and I tthink Meghan needs some motherly love atm.

  18. Tiff says:

    Being a Woman of Color means even if you marry Prince Charming, you still have to suffer. I hope she comes back for Thanksgiving and they just stay.

  19. AprilMay says:

    My guess is they’ll be in the US for Thanksgiving- see Doria and friends there and then afterwards they’ll do a bit of work there. Harry has the documentary with Oprah, meetings with people about their foundation etc. They’ll probably be there for a couple of weeks. The younger royals tend to finish up for Xmas around mid-December so they’ll probably have a few events before heading out to Sandringham.
    And even if they are taking 6 weeks off- Dont forget the Cambridges disappeared for pretty much all of April, July and August and there wasn’t a peep. I’m betting we won’t see them again for a couple of weeks, next week is the Halloween mid-term.

  20. Lizzie says:

    i work exclusively with a british client and the entire corporation (which is a huge multi billion dollar operation) completely shuts down for 3 weeks the week before christmas to new years. in fact, a lot of european countries do that, in addition to being nearly non-operational ghost towns during august when everyone takes their 4 week holiday. who TF cares if they take off six weeks?

  21. Harla says:

    I think taking some time off would be wonderful for the Sussex’s. Meghan worked through much of her maternity leave on the September Vogue issue and the Smart Set project so yeah, taking some time off sounds like a great idea. Also, I don’t think they need to rush back to spend Christmas as Sandringham, why spend Christmas with a family of pit vipers when they could spend a lovely holiday at Frogmore with Doria?

  22. TIFFANY says:

    So they are taking a trip to Meghan’s hometown and visit her mother and the side of the family that has not sold her out. I am pretty sure The Raglands would love to meet and dote on Archie.

  23. Alex Jones says:

    I think Kaiser may be forgetting about the ’embiggening’ of Keen Kate. IMO, the narrative given to the press by KP will more likely be as followed “well, Meghan was planning to take six weeks off but has looked up to Kate’s work ethic and has decided she could do more.”

  24. Div says:

    I really do wonder if Harry and Meghan will just leave the royal family. Harry seems on edge.

    It’s not just the press—which I think they expected to be horrendous. It’s the way it’s very, very clear that the BRF has shut sh*t down around Andrew and William’s affair (the human rights lawsuit, etc.) but done jack to protect Meghan.

    And then when it’s called out, “sources” (probably from the BRF) act like the outage is over people being critical (no one is saying Meghan or Harry are beyond criticism) instead of the very obvious double standards in how Meghan is treated versus the other royals… and racism. It’s beyond obvious she’s being used as a scapegoat for the type of racist people who read the Daily Mail, Sun, etc. and love the Royals, to keep them from turning on the royals over Andrew’s behavior, etc.. Even this six week vacay thing is being handled weirdly—if it’s even true (and I doubt it)—William and Kate have taken just as much time off as that in the past and a big deal wasn’t made.

    • Tiffany says:

      And he confirmed that he and William are not getting along right now. That surprised me. It makes me wonder what the plan is for them.

      • notasugarhere says:

        That is not what he said, but typically the RRs are already spinning it that way.

        “Inevitably stuff happens, but we’re brothers, we will always be brothers. We certainly are on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me. ⁣ We don’t see each other as often as we used to, because we’re so busy, but I love him dearly and the majority of the stuff is created out of nothing. But as brothers, you have good days and you have bad days.”

        They are on different paths because Wm is 2nd in line to the throne and Harry isn’t, that’s what that means.

      • Tiffany says:

        Sooooooo….they are getting along, just now right now. Like I wrote.

      • notasugarhere says:

        LOL. There’s nothing in the quote that says that, but keep failing the reading comprehension test.

      • Tiffany says:

        Actually my reading comprehension is fine, thinking you can say that to me with no reply is not.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Tiffany ITA. Of course that’s what he said, he just knows enough to word it very diplomatically. Harry knows that the entire world already knows that he and William aren’t getting along right now, and he had to address it, so he did, but just in the most neutral terms possible.

        He worded it carefully because he anticipated (correctly) that the media would jump on whatever he said about his brother. IMO

      • notasugarhere says:

        No that isn’t what he said. He’s describing many adult sibling relationships, one where you have your own lives, families, jobs and do not see each other regularly. If anything, he’s being far more diplomatic than William deserves.

        The press have always portrayed these two as attached at the hip, but they’ve lived separate lives since William went off to Uni and the Middleton Clan.

      • Mego says:

        Thank you NOTA! The press are confirming there is a rift but if you actually listen to the audio you will find that Harry never said there was. He probably would have been better off giving a terse “no there is not” as a response to that question than the one he did.

        That said, Harry needs to truly know that William is not an ally but a ruthless adversary who will never tolerate Harry and Meghan outshining he and Kate. In the interview he sounds loyal to William and William doesn’t deserve it.

    • FC says:

      Just wrote this above. We’re hearing crickets from the BRF over the documentary when we should be hearing messages of support from them, or even a “car ride” with QE. The 6 week hiatus announcement (literally right after their summer/maternity leave ended) is alarming too, even if it was leaked from Will.

      I think the BRF thought the relationship wouldn’t last, not that Harry would actually defend his wife and choose her. Strategically, it’s stupid to kick out the most popular royals if you truly care about the monarchy’s longevity, but BP is too proud and racist for strategy. Honestly, H&M will be fine wherever they live, and it will probably even make them more famous and influential, so more power to them.

      • Tiffany says:

        “I think the BRF thought the relationship wouldn’t last, not that Harry would actually defend his wife and choose her.”

        THIS !!!

        They thought Meghan was the type to see in a hotel once a month, not bring to the fold to meet the family.

  25. RoyalBlue says:

    I don’t believe that. They didn’t take time off during her pregnancy why would they announce this now. No. Some courier leaked this just like the moving to Africa lie.

    I think they will continue to work quietly behind the scenes as they always do. They will make the odd public appearance here and there and they will make time to catch up with Meghan’s friends and family. My gut says she is doing this with the full approval of the queen and Charles but protocol dictates they don’t ever come out and publicly comment on these sort of issues.

  26. MeghanNotMarkle says:

    I foresee this as not doing anything publicly but still doing the behind-the-scenes work that we know they actually do. With the way the press has been treating them, I don’t be rude them some time out of the spotlight. Of course, I also think this will work the press into a tizzy and more bad articles will be written about them. They simply can’t win.

  27. Gem says:

    6 weeks?… Well for some!!

  28. Mignionette says:

    This is code for spending Christmas with Mama Doria and not Lilibet and her snake family.

  29. TheOriginalMia says:

    I think it means…we aren’t going to spend our baby’s first Christmas with Harry’s backstabbing brother and Pedo Andy. They are going to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Doria at home or the States or Canada. It means…they are taking the holidays off from the BRF and the tabloids. And that’s fine. It’s been a long year for them, and they are mentally burned out. The rigidity of Christmas at Sandringham and pretending everything is great between all of them is just too much. They want to relax and enjoy themselves. I know this is being made a bigger deal because it’s not as if the BRF don’t disappear during November and December. They’ll do Remembrance and bounce. And that’s okay.

  30. Penguin says:

    I think the 6 week thing is definitely to pave the way for not being at Sandringham.

  31. Nicole r says:

    I don’t understand where they got “6 weeks off”, it said they are taking a break after thanksgiving but nowhere did it say a 6 week break…

  32. kerwood says:

    If Harry and Meghan take six weeks off, what are William and Kate going to do? They can’t just sit back and benefit from being favourably compared to the Sussexes. They might actually have to work.

    I think this is a prelude to Harry and Meghan tapping out of a a Christmas with a Pedophile. Good for them. If the rest of the royal family doesn’t mind associating with a man who forces young girls to have sex with him, there’s no reason that Harry and Meghan have to.

  33. blunt talker says:

    The mental abuse these two had to endure for the last three years is beyond understanding. I don’t if this break is going to be six weeks but God knows they truly need it. I think they will visit Doria a couple weeks which includes Thanksgiving. Then spend a couple of weeks in Canada and return to Britian and do some events before seeing the Queen during Christmas.

  34. Bc says:

    I dont understand why Harry would say its impossible to move to anywhere really, implying that it would be impossible to leave the BRF. Thats crazy. Does he not care abt his wifes mental health and his kid’s peace? I mean, obviously he does but that answer is bizarre as hell. Its as though he has blocked out the idea of leaving the BRF. Sure we could argue that the press change their behaviour, but we all know they wont. The US could be a great fit for them but there are crazy paps there as well. SA isnt too bad. Really, anywhere else is better than the UK. Theres no amount of money or wealth or damn titles that can equal peace of mind and if Harry hasnt realized this by now, if Meghan hasnt existed in the real world enough to realize this by now, then i dont know what to say. At some point after doing all this crying and lamenting, which is valid by the way, youre gonna have to just make a decision. To be brave and go on with the work even in the face of criticism or remove yourself from the situation. Im sorry. Im a huge Harry/Meghan defender but his reply about moving was so final that it really and truly has rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe im just rebellious but there wouldnt be enough titles to keep me putting up with abuse.