Meghan Markle is taking a little break.
Markle is in the midst of a 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand with Prince Harry. Following their pregnancy announcement last week, the couple has made a joint decision to reduce Markle’s public appearances.
"After a busy programme, the Duke and Duchess have decided to cut back the Duchess's schedule slightly for the next couple of days, ahead of the final week-and-a-half of the tour,” a statement from the royal household, obtained by E! News, said.
The announcement came after Harry appeared at an Invictus Games event on Sunday morning without Markle. Harry told competitors that she was "resting back at home; being pregnant takes its toll." The palace did not clarify which events would be cut out of Markle’s schedule, but did confirm that she was scheduled rejoin Harry for the afternoon events.
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According to Daily Mail royal correspondent Rebecca English, this cutback was not caused by any complications with Markle’s pregnancy. Rather, they are trying to “pace” Markle due to how many engagements she and Harry have scheduled on the tour.
One source tells me it isn’t that the duchess is feeling poorly, but they’re trying to ‘pace’ her given how many engagements are coming up. The couple are due to undertake 76 on the 16-day tour. It is unlikely Meghan will do many engagements on Fraser Island due to the terrain
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 21, 2018
This news shouldn’t be terribly surprising to anyone who has been paying attention to the royal couple’s tour. At an event on Bondi Beach on Friday, Markle told a local that being pregnant is “like jet lag” and that she was up until 4:30 that morning doing yoga because she couldn’t sleep.
So, if nothing else, this proves that pregnancy can be hard on anyone, and taking a break when you need it is more than okay. Even if you’re Meghan Markle.