Prince Harry will take a five-month paternity leave after the birth of his daughter Lilibet Diana.
The Duke, who heads a charity with his wife Meghan, sets an example by offering both parents 20 weeks leave from work after a child is born.
The pair secretly revealed their plan to take shared parental leave in a footnote below their birth announcement.
“While the Duke and Duchess are on parental leave, Archewell will continue to do important work and publish stories on the site. “We look forward to seeing you!” the statement said.
‘We’re so used to seeing senior royals going back to work, but Harry and Meghan are leading by example,’ royal biographer Omid Scobie said last night.
‘They offer up to 20 weeks parental leave at Archewell (their foundation). It’ll be several months off work for the pair of them.’
Traditionally, royals are seen leaving for engagements far sooner, but the young couple will both spend time with their second child Lilibet, Archie’s two-year-old sister.
‘Not being working royals any more, they are free to do what they want,’ one analyst told The Sun.
Royal biographer Penny Junor said: ‘Harry maybe felt his parents were too busy when he was a child and he wants to make the most of it now for his young family.
‘Certainly both of his parents were working and he spent a lot of time with nannies.’
After the birth of his first child, Archie, Harry took two weeks of paternity leave.
Many royals, like Harry’s brother Prince William, took around three weeks off when Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born, and only two days for his third child Prince Louis.
On July 1, a statue of Princess Diana will be unveiled on the grounds of Kensington Palace as the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between Prince Harry and Prince William.
Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal analyst, believes the duke will still visit the UK on July 1 to witness the inauguration of Diana’s statue.
From Harry’s new position as “chief impact officer” with US mental health business BetterUp Inc to the couple’s combined Spotify and Netflix positions, the former royals have a lot of obligations they will need to return to at some point.
Harry, 36, and his wife Meghan, 39, announced the birth of their second child about a week ago.
They said: “On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.
“She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe.
“Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”
Her first name is derived from Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname “Lilibet,” which she acquired when she was unable to pronounce her own name.
According to reports, Harry informed the Queen that LilIbet would be named after her, but royal staff were among the last to know.
Lilibet is the eighth in the line of succession to the throne.
