Meghan Markle Missed Royal Easter Service Because She Was in LA With Her Mother Doria Ragland

Hair, Face, Skin, Eyebrow, Facial expression, Smile, Hairstyle, Chin, Forehead, Beauty,

(Image credit: getty image)

published 4 April 2018

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were noticeably absent from the Easter Service this past weekend. It even took place in their wedding venue, St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. But apparently Markle had a very good reason for skipping the event.

Event, Gesture, Conversation, Interaction, White-collar worker, Suit, Hand, Formal wear, Businessperson,

What Meghan Markle’s Family Have Said So Far

At the time, Hello! reported that "the lovebirds were most likely enjoying some downtime out of the public eye." And Kensington Palace told Access that Markle and Prince Harry's "weekend plans are private."

But according to royal expert Omid Scobie, who appeared on Good Morning America today, "Meghan left London last Thursday with a rare break in her calendar, to fly to Los Angeles to spend time with her mother, Doria."

Countdown to the Royal Wedding! How Meghan’s been finalizing details for the big day with her mom! @dianermacedo brings us this morning's @GMA Cover Story. pic.twitter.com/1xvSmynM8DApril 4, 2018

According to Scobie, Markle had some important wedding plans to discuss with her mother, ahead of the big day on May 19. Scobie added that Markle was "equipped with sketches from the wedding and of the wedding dress itself, so she could really give her mom some insight on how the big day will look."

Royal contributor Scobie also revealed on GMA that Markle and Prince Harry will fly Ragland over to London soon to help with the wedding preparation. And while Markle's dress is still top secret, the former actress has apparently been having fittings for the gown at Kensington Palace, and is getting close to finalizing her wedding look.

Hair, Face, Skin, Eyebrow, Hairstyle, Nose, Beauty, Cheek, Chin, Forehead,

Several members of the royal family were in attendance at the Easter morning church service that Markle missed, even Kate Middleton, who is currently pregnant with her third child and due to give birth later this month.

Meghan Markle Won't Wear Kate Middleton's Tiara

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.