Meghan Markle announces end of maternity leave as Prince Harry faces criticism for private jets
The Duchess of Sussex will return to her royal duties next week after finishing her maternity leave, and she’s shared what her first royal duty will be.
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The Duchess of Sussex finishes up maternity leave next week and has revealed what her first royal duty will be.
On Thursday September 12 Meghan Markle will launch her womenswear line which she created with her American fashion designer friend Misha Nonoo.
The capsule collection of work wear is a collaboration with charity Smart Works, which the Duchess is patron.
The Duchess has been an official supporter of the charity, which supports women in need across the UK, since January.
Smart Works helps women find stable employment with equipping them with professional workwear and coaching tips ahead of job interviews.
The chic engagement which takes place one day before the start of London Fashion Week will be the royal’s first official work commitment since she and Prince Harry welcomed their first son, Archie Harrison on May 6.
The Duchess detailed her work on the project in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest edited.
“When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes,” she wrote.
“Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colours, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes.
“To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe.
“Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”
Last month the royal gave fans a glimpse of her project on Instagram as she surprised a group of women ahead of a photoshoot for the collection.
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The clothing line includes a shirt, pants, blazer, dress and a bag.
The tote bag by John Lewis & Partners is predicted to be a hot item, according to UK media.
Maternity leave was far from a break for the popular royal, she appeared alongside Beyonce during the Lion King premiere, attended Wimbledon and The Queen’s birthday celebrations.
On top of this she and Prince Harry also moved house with Vanity Fair reporting the couple’s move from Kensington Palace is now complete after they declared they wanted to live in their own home in March.
The move means they will no longer share staff with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
ROYAL’S JET FIGHT
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has defended his right to take private jets, saying the safety of his wife and baby son will always come first.
The Duke of Sussex took a commercial flight to Amsterdam to promote Travalyst, a partnership between major travel companies to support sustainable travel.
“I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial,” Prince Harry told reporters.
“Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure my family are safe. It’s genuinely as simple as that.
“What is it is about balance. If I have to do that — it’s not a decision that I would want to take — but if I have to do that then I would ensure, as I have done previously and I will continue to make sure that I do, is to balance out that impact that I have. I have always offset my CO2,” he said.
The Duke has been battling negative headlines following four private jet trips in 11 days, including one to visit Elton John in Nice, France.
Travalyst is a partnership between major travel companies to boost efforts to battle climate change.
The number of people taking international flights was expected to hit 1.8 billion by 2030, raising concerns about carbon emissions.
Prince Harry said: “Travel has the unparalleled power to open people’s minds to different cultures, new experiences and to have a profound appreciation for what our world has to offer.
“As tourism inevitably grows, it is critically important to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices worldwide; and to balance this growth with the needs of the environment and the local population.
“Bringing companies, consumers and communities together is our best chance to protect destinations and ecosystems for future generations.”
Companies including Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa have joined forces with Prince Harry for the campaign.
The initiative was planning to support and hire local companies to improve their economies and look at ways of protecting wildlife.
Travalyst will also try to prevent over-tourism in some areas.
The public statements did not suggest a reduction in air travel to reduce carbon emissions from flights.
Originally published as Meghan Markle announces end of maternity leave as Prince Harry faces criticism for private jets