Just about everyone who welcomes a new baby gets a maternity leave from their place of employment, and new fathers even get paternity leave so that they can spend some time with the newborn. While the length of maternity leave varies, typically a new parent will find themselves with six to 12 weeks of time off after the birth of a child.

Meghan Markle is the latest royal to welcome a new baby, son Archie Harrison, and she is currently taking a break from her duties, as expected. We are all anxious to see the Duchess of Sussex again, and many are wondering just how long her maternity leave is.

When did Meghan Markle’s maternity leave officially begin?

Much to our delight, Meghan was extremely busy with royal duties while she was expecting baby Archie. We got to see her on many occasions, and we loved the fact that she was always lovingly cradling her growing bump. We didn’t know exactly when Meghan’s due date actually was, leaving many fans to speculate as to when she would take a break. Her last appearance was on March 19, marking the official beginning of her maternity leave. Naturally, it was an exciting time for royal fans, and everyone was on baby watch, just waiting for any sign that indicated that baby Sussex had arrived.

Baby Archie finally arrives

For weeks, there was speculation that either Meghan had gone into labor, and even that the baby had already been born. It seemed that fans were constantly in a frenzy, watching for any possible clue. When an ambulance was seen with a police escort near Meghan and Harry’s home, the rumors began running wild. Also, Meghan received a visit from her grandmother-in-law, the queen, further convincing fans that she had given birth. Millions of people were anxious for updates, and finally, on May 6th, 2019, the news was released that Meghan and Harry had welcomed a healthy baby boy.

Will Meghan Markle take the same amount of time that Kate Middleton did?

Kate Middleton took time off with the birth of each of her three children. When Prince George was born, her leave was relatively short, lasting only a little over five weeks. In 2015, she took significantly longer after welcoming Princess Charlotte, this time four months. When Prince Louis was born, Kate had a maternity leave that lasted six months in order to bond with her new son and spend time with her two older children as well.

Although Meghan recently made an appearance at Trooping the Colour, she is still officially on leave. Royal protocol dictates that the duchess can take up to a year if she would like to. It is expected; however, that Meghan will be on a leave lasting just a little less time than Kate Middleton’s second one did: three months. We must remember that this is not definite and although Meghan is said to be returning to royal duties within 12 weeks of Archie’s birth, she may take a little longer.

Either way, we are so happy that Meghan and Harry have welcomed their first child. We hope that Meghan takes as much time as she needs, yet we have to say that we can’t wait to see her out and about once again.