Meghan Markle Reportedly Wants a Three-Month Maternity Leave

Meghan Markle officially went on maternity leave in mid-March (opens in new tab), and since then everyone (me) has been glued to their phones, waiting for the sure-to-be-adorable Baby Sussex. Now, we have a bit more insight into when we might see Meghan again after she delivers: According to the Sun, Meghan Markle is reportedly planning to take a three-month maternity leave—traditional to American standards—because, like the total hardworking badass that she is, she wants to get back to work focusing on charities and other causes she supports.

According to a royal source, "Meghan has made it very clear she wants to return to work as soon as possible. She has huge amounts of energy, is extremely determined and wants to be as hands-on as possible with her charities.

"She's penciled in three months, but she'll most likely return to public life in six weeks—on the Queen's official birthday, Trooping the Colour, in June.

"Three months' maternity is standard in the U.S. for American mums—they don't normally get the six or even 12 months women get here in the U.K. So this is totally normal for Meghan."

Intriguingly, this will be just after President Trump's state visit to the U.K. earlier that week. Reportedly, Harry will also be taking paternity leave, but it's unclear as yet how long that'll be.

Just for the sake of normalization, Kate has apparently taken between five weeks (George) and six months (Louis) for her own maternity leave, so, truly, it sounds like there is no "standard," even for one person's separate experiences. Whatever's healthiest for each individual person, I say.

Reportedly, since arriving last week, Meghan's mom Doria has been staying with the couple in advance of the big day (opens in new tab) (if it hasn't already happened—some fans think that Meghan's already given birth and we're going to get an announcement any second now). (Also, can you imagine how stealthy they must have been to keep that a secret from everyone??)

The whole family is "focused on family life" right now, reportedly, which is so sweet. A source told the Daily Mail, "Of course they're making plans for the future, and they're very excited about the options, but right now they have just moved into a beautiful new home and are focused on family life." This is probably in reference to the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may take on a secondment (opens in new tab), spending four months out of the year in a country in Africa. Clearly, there's a bit of time before any of that happens.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

SUBSCRIBE HERE (opens in new tab)