Meghan Markle did not flee the United Kingdom to escape the consequences of the child pornography investigation involving her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., according to several royal sources.
Page Six has confirmed that the Sussexes and their children – Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 – flew abroad to an undisclosed location to enjoy the UK’s half-term school holidays.
“I would not describe Meghan as having fled the UK following the allegations against her father,” royal reporter Andrea Caamano exclusively told Page Six.
“We know the news broke when she was already abroad with her family for the mid-October holidays,” she explained, adding: “Some schools have a two-week break in the UK, so the timing appears to be a coincidence rather than a deliberate decision to escape the headlines.”
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield agreed, telling Page Six that schools across Britain are currently on holiday in mid-October.
“Harry and Meghan may just be using the school holidays to spend time with their children while allowing some of the controversy to die down,” Schofield said.
The two insiders think their family getaway shouldn’t last very long.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if their withdrawal from the spotlight lasted as long as the kids’ half-term break,” Schofield said.
Caamano, co-host of Hello!’s “A Right Royal Podcast,” expects the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — to return to the U.K. by the end of this week, just in time for their children to return to school after their vacation.
“I don’t expect this to become a prolonged withdrawal from public life,” Caamano said. “Meghan has been incredibly busy with her latest As Ever launches, particularly the new holiday collection, and I expect her to continue promoting her business. As we say here in Britain, it’s all about ‘keep calm and carry on’.”
We’re told their leak is more of a timely break from the negative headlines.
“I don’t believe the Sussexes have any intention of abandoning their ambitions in Britain,” Schofield said. “This may be less of a strategic retreat than a convenient opportunity to let the headlines die down. »
Caamano shared that being away during this “painful” time has “definitely been a little blessing in disguise.”
“A friend told us this week that Meghan is incredibly upset… But she is supported by those close to her,” Caamano said. “Many friends, both in the UK and abroad, have contacted us to offer their support. »
The reporter also told us that the couple is protecting their peace by staying away from social media.
“Prince Harry told us himself last month that he is not on social media, and neither is Meghan, although she has two Instagram accounts,” Caamano said. “They have people who help them manage and post content on their behalf, allowing them to take a step back from social media for the sake of their mental health.”
Meghan, 45, and Harry, 42, came out of dodge just days after news broke that Thomas Sr. was under investigation for possessing a trove of child pornography.
“She’s really, really upset,” a close friend of the As Ever founder told Hello! magazine Monday.
Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan’s half-brother, claimed he found images and videos of child sexual abuse in their father’s belongings at his home in the Philippines. Thomas Sr. is currently under investigation by local authorities.
Thomas Sr. has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.” His other daughter, Samantha Markle, defended her father and accused Thomas Jr. of lying.
Meghan, who has been estranged from her father since 2018, called the accusations “deeply distressing” and admitted to knowing about the allegations for years.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite the distortion of some media publications over the years, any distance from my father and my choice not to allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason only: to protect them,” Markle said in part. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families. »
Meghan and Harry, who returned to Britain in August after living in California for six years, had just made their first joint public appearance since their return earlier this month.
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