Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's absence at the Buckingham Palace reception for world leaders in celebration of the 70th anniversary of NATO doesn't come as a surprise to many. It is a public knowledge that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently on royal duties hiatus. However, there are also speculations that the couple is not even in the country.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have already announced last month that they are taking a six-week break from royal duties. This was announced after Harry admitted in a TV documentary the rift between him and his brother Prince William.
The last time Harry and Meghan were seen together in a public event was when they attended the Remembrance Sunday service on November 11. Then Harry joined the OnSide Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London in mid-November before he took a break.
Now, there were speculations that Harry and Meghan, along with their son, Baby Archie, are spending their break out of the country. The rumor is the Sussexes are not in the UK for the last couple of weeks. They are allegedly not expected to return to London until before Christmas.
During a podcast by royal correspondent Omid Scobie, his guest royal producer at ITV News Lizzie Robinson claimed Harry, Meghan, and Baby Archie are not in the UK. She added that the Sussexes could even be in the Suits actress's home state, California.
The new speculation came after another royal expert Katie Nicholl said the Duchess of Sussex most likely gathered her close family members and cooked for them on Thanksgiving. She told OK! Magazine (via The Sun) that Meghan is a great cook and loves to bring people together over a meal.
Earlier reports indicate that Sussex was planning to spend Thanksgiving in the U.S. with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland. That plan, however, reportedly changed and instead Ragland flew to London to visit her daughter.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan's break from royal duties is expected to extend through the end of the year. A spokesperson for the couple has also confirmed that Meghan and Harry will not be spending Christmas at Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth II. The couple had spent the holidays with the Queen for the last two years.
It is not uncommon for royal family members to miss Christmas at Sandringham. In 2012 and 2016, Prince William and Kate Middleton also skipped Christmas Day with the Queen as they spent it at the Middletons at their home in Berkshire.
