Why Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton Did Not Attend The Order Of The Garter

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton did not attend this week’s the Order of the Garter because they weren’t invited by Queen Elizabeth II to attend.

Isabella Sullivan, a journalist for Express, said that the Order of the Garter is by invitation only. Since Prince Harry does not belong to the Order of the Garter, Markle had no reason to attend the celebration.

Prince William, on the other hand, is a member of the Order of the Garter just like Prince Charles, and they both attended the gathering. However, Middleton skipped the ceremony because she is still on maternity leave.

Middleton gave birth to Prince Louis on April 23, and she has been given six months off from taking part in royal engagements. However, the Duchess of Cambridge can attend royal events to her liking. For instance, she was present at the Trooping the Colour.

The 36-year-old mom of three also attended Prince Harry and Markle’s wedding on May 19 even though it’s only been less than a month since she gave birth to her son.

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal expert, previously told Express that royal fans may only see Middleton in public at Prince Louis’ christening and after her maternity leave wraps up in October.

“Kate will be resuming royal duties after taking extended maternity leave as expected after Louis’ birth, probably in the autumn,” he said.

Duncan Larcombe, a royal biographer, also talked about the Duchess’ schedule and said that attending Prince Harry and Markle’s wedding, as well as the Trooping the Colour didn’t count.

“The wedding of [Prince Harry and Meghan] doesn’t count because it was a family affair but other than that, she will pick and choose her engagements. If she wanted, Kate could disappear into the background until October,” he said.

Meanwhile, even though Markle and Prince Harry skipped the Order of the Garter this week, the royal couple were present during the first day of the Royal Ascot. The five-day horse-racing event will wrap up this weekend, and it’s also attended by the Queen and other members of the British royal family.