Queen Elizabeth Will Pass on Her Royal Patronage to Meghan Markle in the New Year

Being a member of the royal family must get a little tricky around the holidays. Well, just what exactly do you buy for your loved ones when they’re literally in line to the throne? Luckily, Queen Elizabeth II is kind of an expert at it all by now, and she’s reportedly planning to hand over the perfect gift to her granddaughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, in the New Year.

Royal sources claim that Her Majesty is set to pass on one of her royal patronages to the Duchess of Sussex. Patronages are the beloved charities and good causes that the Queen has chosen to become a patron of over the years, so it’s kind fo a big deal and a huge compliment that she’s expected to deliver the mantle to Meghan in the upcoming weeks.

With the Queen and the Duchess having reportedly sat down recently to discuss the possibilities of patronage, over a warm cup of tea at the palace (the most British ever?), it’s thought that “discussions are ongoing” regarding the exact causes that Meghan will take on next year. According to The Times, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex met the Queen at Buckingham Palace last week to talk business and, probably, royal baby cuteness.

The idea of passing on a patronage makes total sense, as Meghan herself is yet to formally announce the names of the charities that she herself plans to become a patron of.

Looking for a few early hints as to her choices? The Duchess has already met with causes including the Campaign for Female Education, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and the National Theatre. Insiders predict that she’ll finally share her decisions (likely to relate to her passions—feminism, education and the arts) in the early months of 2019. Meghan will then visit each of the organizations before giving birth to her and Prince Harry’s first baby in the spring.

The Queen, who is patron to the small matter of over 600 charities, previously handed over 25 of her roles to Princes Harry and William, as well as Kate Middleton, in an effort to lessen her work load a little ahead of her 90th birthday. Understandable, really.

Being trusted by Queen Elizabeth to look after her heartfelt patronages has got to be a pretty great gift for the holidays, right? It sure beats soaps and socks, anyway.

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