Royal Family News: Prince Harry Overworked Taking Long Parental Leave

British Royal Family news reveals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second child and first daughter on Friday. The statement confirmed that the Duchess and her infant daughter are both fine. Lilibeth “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor arrived at 11:40 a.m. and weighed 11 Ibs. 7 oz.

“Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote.

The couple hasn’t released any pictures of their daughter, but they released a joint statement thanking their fans for “the kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

New mom Meghan Markle, 39, and new dad Prince Harry, 36, will take a similar leave from their work following the birth of their daughter.

Royal Family News: Meghan Markle’s Book Tanks, Panned By Critics

View Story

Prince Harry To Take A 20-Week Paternity Break

The Duke of Sussex will be taking 5 months away from work following the birth of his daughter Lilibet in order to focus on family. The prince’s leave by far eclipses the two-week paid leave for new dads in the U.K. Royal commentators were quick to note that it is one of the benefits of their Megxit as they are now free to take any amount of time off.

“Not being working royals anymore, they are free to do what they want, when they want. That’s one benefit of quitting the institution,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted.

“They can take 40 weeks if they choose but it also depends what is meant by ‘leave’. For example, Harry will be attending the statue unveiling of his mother on July 1 in London so we will still be seeing and hearing from them,” he continued. “That said, there might be some who will be hoping not to hear anything controversial from Harry and Meghan for 20 weeks.”

Harry’s near half-year paternity absence beats out the ones taken by his brother Prince William hands down.

Prince William, as a working and senior member of the royal family, only enjoyed two to three weeks away from his royal duties at the birth of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and only enjoyed two days off work after the birth of his last child Prince Louis.

To explain the couple’s extended leave, their biographer Omid Scobie shared that the pair are leading by example as this is the norm their foundation offers to workers. “We’re so used to seeing senior royals going back to work but Harry and Meghan are leading by example. They offer up to 20 weeks of parental leave at Archewell (their foundation). It’ll be several months off work for the pair of them.”

In their absence, the couple’s Archewell Foundation will continue to implement the important works they’ve already begun.

Royal Biographer Believes Prince Harry Wants To Bond With His Children

Prince Harry took a leave approximately that of his wife’s, which is far from the norm for working dads in the U.K. While it is one of the perks of no longer retaining their position as senior royals, experts believe Harry also wants to bond with his children when they are younger.

Queen Elizabeth Hosts President Joe Biden https://t.co/nHjHPCIVaN pic.twitter.com/l9opUpMup5

— SOS/CTS/HH (@SoapOperaSpy) June 8, 2021

Prince Harry has recently spoken out about his tough childhood and how he wants to do things differently with his children to prevent the “generational cycle of pain” from continuing. Leaving his life as a royal behind may be one step, but spending quality time with his young children could be another step. He wants to be there and witness his children’s early stages, something he feels he didn’t have the luxury of.

Royal Biographer Penny Junor said: “Five months is a generous amount of time off but good for them. It’s all right for some. I do believe bonding well with children when they’re young is very important.”

“Harry may be felt his parents were too busy when he was a child and he wants to make the most of it now for his young family. Certainly, both of his parents were working and he spent a lot of time with nannies,” she added. “I’m sure they’ll get up to all sorts during their time off together as a family — maybe even some more feeding chickens.”

While it’s not yet clear how far the couple’s leave of absence will extend, in terms of public appearances, it’s believed that Harry will be taking a break from his new role as the “chief impact officer” with US mental health firm BetterUp.

Keep checking Celebrating The Soaps daily for more Royal Family news and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle updates.