Pregnant Meghan Markle defended by mums after she's criticised for taking a break from royal tour
Pregnant Meghan Markle has been defended by other mums after people have been criticising her for taking a break from the royal tour.
The Duchess of Sussex, 37, who announced her pregnancy last week after much speculation from royal fans, has been out and about everyday with her husband, Prince Harry, since they landed in Australia last week.
So after a gruelling first week down under, it was announced that the pregnant royal would take a little break from official duties on the royal tour, with the Duke of Sussex reportedly telling athletes at the Invictus Games in Sydney that she was ‘resting at home’ because ‘pregnancy takes its toll’.
Meghan did return to join her husband, who she married back in May, for an official event later on in the day, but Buckingham Palace did confirm that the Duchess was scheduled to miss a couple of pre-planned events.
Critics took to Twitter to condemn the Duchess, who is due to give birth in the Spring, after she took a morning to rest, leaving her husband to the first half of Sunday’s official events on his own.
One Twitter user wrote: ‘I doubt shaking a few hands and lording around Oz is gonna have a detrimental on the pregnancy. Try working in a real public sector business 6 weeks before you give birth’; while another commented: ‘I seem to remember getting up at 6 and getting 2 buses to work as most women do when pregnant’ and ‘IMAGINE if she had a real job, two other kids, had to do the shopping and all the other stuff regular mothers do.’
A third added: ‘she makes some public events and it’s “overdoing it” Christ she wants to get into the real world of working full time having a toddler and a house to run’.
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While another also commented: ‘She is pregnant ffs! She’s not even that far gone! Just just on with it’.
However, mums jumped to the expectant mother’s defence, writing about the difficulties of pregnancy. One said: ‘Sad to read such judgemental comments. Every pregnancy is different. She is an older mum for all intents & purposes & the risks are higher. Kate Middleton missed a few engagements cos she had very badly with morning sickness. So what if she is privileged’.
Another also jumped in Meghan's defense: 'It’s mostly men that seem to have the negative comments, you try being in the early stages of pregnancy, it’s the most exhausting, add to that all the travelling she’s doing, I couldn’t have done it and I was 10 years younger with my first.'
While other supporters pointed out how the extensive travelling must be affecting the mum-to-be: ‘Not sure why people going on about privilege. How many pregnant women fly for 24 hours then go straight to exhausting engagements after touchdown with more travel inbetween? Every pregnant woman is an individual. We cannot judge. Let her rest & enjoy her pregnancy in her own way’, ‘It’s the jet lag combined with the pregnancy that’s difficult to deal with. She’s absolutely right to rest’.
Another said: ‘I take my hat off to her for travelling over 24 hours and completing as many engagements as she has. Being pregnant is physically and mentally exhausting! If she needs a days rest, then she deserves it. Travelling is exhausting at the best of times, let alone when your pregnant.'
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Aleesha Badkar is a lifestyle writer who specialises in health, beauty - and the royals. After completing her MA in Magazine Journalism at the City, the University of London in 2017, she interned at Women’s Health, Stylist, and Harper’s Bazaar, creating features and news pieces on health, beauty, and fitness, wellbeing, and food. She loves to practice what she preaches in her everyday life with copious amounts of herbal tea, Pilates, and hyaluronic acid.