How am I just realizing this week that Doria Ragland is a Virgo? The Duchess of Sussex’s mother and her husband are both Virgos. That’s got to mean something! Unfortunately, Meghan was not in California this week to celebrate her mom’s 70th birthday in person. Meghan and her family moved to the UK last week, and we’ve been told that Meghan plans to visit Montecito frequently during her family’s relocation. I’ve always thought that the Windsors and the Sussexes missed a perfect excuse, in 2019/20, for the Sussexit: they could have said “Meghan simply does not want to live that far away from her mom.” Well, maybe the Sussexes can use that excuse next year when they hopefully move back to California. As for now, People Magazine has an exclusive about Meghan and Doria:
As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry settle into life back in the U.K., one important member of their family remains stateside: Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland.
Ragland turned 70 on Wednesday, Sept. 2, just a few days after her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — officially touched down in England. PEOPLE revealed one week prior that the family was relocating to Harry’s home country for an extended period.
Meghan and Harry have spent the past six years raising their family in Montecito, Calif., where Doria, who is based in Los Angeles, has remained a close presence in their lives. And while the move to the U.K. will put physical distance between Meghan and her mother, spending time with her mom will remain a priority.
“Meghan plans to see her mom regularly,” a source tells PEOPLE. “They’re incredibly close.”
Ragland has long been present for major moments in the Sussexes’ family life, traveling to London for Meghan and Harry’s wedding in 2018 and returning the following year for Archie’s birth and christening. More recently, she was there for the couple’s final weekend in Montecito, which they spent with close friends and friends of their children.
“They wanted to spend time with the people they’re closest to before they left and for the kids to have some special time with friends,” a source told PEOPLE last week. “It wasn’t a goodbye forever. It was much more, ‘We’ll be back, but this is what we’re doing right now.’ “
The source added that the family’s departure from California, where they settled in 2020 after stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family, was not without emotion.
“They’ve been planning this for some time, and they feel it’s the right thing for their family, but that doesn’t mean leaving was easy,” the source explained. “Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there. They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust. There’s excitement about what’s ahead too, especially for the kids. They’re really happy for them and for everything they’ll get to experience.”
Some commenters have theorized that, no matter what, this UK move is “not a goodbye forever” to California for Meghan and the children. As in, Meghan has set a one-year timer on this bitch and by this time next year, she’s going to be back in Montecito. I genuinely hope that’s the case. Doria is a huge part of Meghan’s support system, and vice versa for an aging parent. It’s really going to be difficult for Doria and Meghan to be that far away from each other for a year. But hopefully, that’s all it is – one year.
Photos courtesy of Netflix, Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland, arriving at Cliveden House Hotel on the National Trust’s Cliveden Estate to spend the night before her wedding to Prince Harry.,Image: 515239971, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) arrives with her mother, Doria Ragland (L) and Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to host an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009123, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) arrives with her mother, Doria Ragland (L) and Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to host an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace in London on September 20, 2018.,Image: 534009147, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Malibu, CA – Kim Kardashian enjoys dinner at Nobu with friends and family in Malibu, CA. Kim showed off her sexy curves in an off-the-shoulder top and snug jeans as she is joined by mom Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, and self-proclaimed “Foodgod” Jonathan Cheban. Kanye was also at the outing but left sooner in a separate ride. No signs of sisters Khloe or Kourtney! Pictured: Kim Kardashian BACKGRID USA 27 FEBRUARY 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
“Meghan has set a one-year timer on this bitch.” The escape route is crucial, as is her wonderful mother Doria’s support. This makes me so sad. God bless this family and keep them from harm.
This makes no sense though. Are they really gonnA pull their children out of school after one year after moving them halfway around the world?
The only way this makes sense is if Charles has 18 months to live.
Her mother is the reason why I believe Harry and Meghan will be spending Christmas in the US.
I’m not close with my mother, and I’m glad she lives 3 hours away. But in another country? While she’s aging? That would have me worried.
I really hope they are back in California for at least Christmas, Easter and summer holidays (about 2.5 months total), so they can celebrate all the major holidays with Doria. Maybe she can visit for another 2 months in the UK.
Doria seems to be very tied in to her community so I’m sure she has a good support system.
Best case scenario, the family moves back after a year. However the more I think about it, the more I believe Harry is doing this because he doesn’t want William/the family to deny Archie and Lilli their heritage, legacy and place in the UK, or a sense of belonging there, and believed it had to happen before William became king. School is key in Britain for making the connections to your fellow upper class peers, plus obviously socialization and a sense of belonging.
At 70, Doria is still young, but yes, she’s at the stage of life where career is winding or wound down, and being with friends and family gains more daily importance. I suspect she’ll visit England occasionally, too.
Seventy is a milestone birthday. I hope they celebrated and made a big deal over Doria before they left. But this is another reason I still don’t believe Meghan is just thrilled to be pulling up roots and leaving a pretty amazing life behind in California.
So far from what their actual spox said, the delusions that have been spun are wrong. I hope some supposed supporters or whomever they are, take a check before they spew more lies. They’ve spewed their ugly ignorant venom enough.
I was kind of surprised Doria didn’t go with them to help them settle in, and be a familiar, stabilizing face for the kids while their parents may be out of the house. We don’t know if they brought a nanny/housekeeper with them either, just the dogs (and security).
Still, while Meg and Doria have done the separate countries before, incl. all of Meg’s years in Toronto where Suits filmed, a 5-6 hr plane ride is a lot different than a 13 hr plane ride from LA to London. Doria may be in great shape, due to a lifetime of yoga, but she is 70, and that’s a long time in flight, even in 1st class, stretched out (been there done that; def WAY more comfortable, but it’s a long time!).
It crossed my mind they may meet up in Portugal for the holidays, less strain on the kids travel-time wise, but I’m sure the kids will want to get back and see the Chick Inn and make sure all is good there.
While I doubt M is ready or able to do a WLM so soon, for this Christmas (between house hunting, getting the kids settled in with school and sports/activities), a Cotswold Christmas special would be lovely!
*manifesting like crazy*
😊 Same! Universe, are you listening ????? 👂🏻 🦻🏻(just in case it needs some help!)
None of these fkrs know how the Sussexes celebrated Doria’s MILESTONE 70th birthday.
I recall that H revealed in Spare that M and her mom celebrated her mother’s 60th birthday in 2016 by taking her on that trip to India.
Why wouldnt they mark her 70th in an equally significant manner?
None of us knows how or what they did, especially not those parasitic vermin in the shitmedia.
I’m not in us or uk but my family are uk. Im surprised that the obvious thing their team stated hasn’t been acknowledged here. It’s a temporary thing. So many said this and we’re bullied by people who genuinely seemed to hate Prince Harry for no legitimate reason. He’s been portrayed in an appalling way here. The bloggers and definitely many posters.
Theve said its temporary, not that Harry’s desperate to be king (my personal favourite crazy town) or deceased desperate to feel royal. Their spot said for a short time. Its truly sad the people who seem obsessed with Harry being miserable in ca with zero evidence. I guess everyone needs clicks but still. There are people’s lives.
Again, my feelings on this move are influenced by my own experience moving to England and for me, moving away from my Mom for six years was the most painful part.
I longed to be able to just pop into her house for a cup of tea, but the long flight made that impossible.
Meghan has far more money than I had (or have), so I hope she gets to see her mother regularly.
I’m sure it will be hard for Doria and Meghan, and the children being away from their involved grandmother, to be in a country led by their grandfather who doesn’t care about them. I can’t imagine how she feels seeing her daughter go back to a place that almost killed her. I’m sure Meghan and hopefully the kids will be back, I’m not sure about Harry.
I feel like people are making a big deal about Doria. She didn’t move to England 10 years ago so baffled why people think she would now. She made quite a few visits last time so I aspect that to happen again. Also I think as working Royals, it was harder for Harry and Meghan to travel. Now they can visit Doria more often.
What really scares me in this whole moving to the UK situation is it keeps coming up that the Duchess will be going back & forth to California. I can just see the BRF or their flunkies somehow preventing her from returning. I hope the move is only a year or so.