Sunday 12 May 2019

A Touching Mother's Day Post From The Sussexes

To mark Meghan's first Mother's Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a very sweet photo of the new mother with Archie in the gardens of Frogmore Cottage.


Poignantly, the flowers in the background are Forget-Me-Nots - Princess Diana's favourite. They symbolise true love and memories. The Telegraph reports Lady Jane Fellowes, Diana's sister, was one of the first relatives to meet Archie. Lady Jane gave a beautiful reading at Harry and Meghan's wedding. "The winter is past, the rain is over and gone... Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it." By all accounts, the Spencer family have been incredibly supportive and welcoming.


I've mentioned before, I think Meghan is very much involved in writing posts for the Instagram account. Today's post had a very personal feel to it. The photo was accompanied by the following: "Paying tribute to all mothers today - past, present, mothers-to-be, and those lost but forever remembered. We honor and celebrate each and every one of you. Today is Mother’s Day in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Japan, and several countries across Europe. This is the first Mother’s Day for The Duchess of Sussex."


It concluded with a quote from Lands by Nayyirah Waheed.

my 
mother 
was 
my first country;
the first place I ever lived.

The writer and artist has published two books of poetry. She describes herself as a "quiet poet" who prefers to remain as private as possible despite her profile. Her poems are concise, stirring, and focus on themes of love, feminism, parenthood, identity and racism. The Duchess has long been a fan and on International Women's Day 2017 she shared a tweet featuring a quote from Waheed's self-published piece Salt, in which Waheed offers her daughter advice and tells her it is not her beauty that will get her through life, but her confidence. "Knowing your worth can save your life". Click here to view more of Nayyirah Waheed's work on Instagram.


Wishing the Duchess, and all those celebrating, a very Happy Mother's Day!

62 comments:

  1. This is wonderful! Thanks for posting!

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  2. A lovely Mother’s Day message! So sweet to have Baby Archie’s feet with Princess Diana’s favourite flowers in the background. It reminded me of Prince Harry’s engagement this week, when it was written that he had spoken about missing his mother so much as he enjoyed his baby.

    Thanks for your post! Happy Mother’s Day to all who are celebrating & in general, a happy day to everyone!

    Dena

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  3. Happy Mother's Day to all and this beautiful soul the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan!

    I hoped for posts like these and I am happy she delivers it every time!!

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  4. How precious! And thank you Charlotte for all the work you do on this blog to make sure it stays classy. Unfortunately there have already been a stream of negative comments under this instagram post, including one which said that Meghan should say "honour" instead of "honor." Its good to know that people care about the important stuff.

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    1. I tried to find the really nasty one that everyone seemed to be referencing, just out of curiosity, but there seemed to be thousands, so I never found it. I'm glad I didn't. Reading all that nastiness just gets you all riled up and I'd rather not waste my energy or indignation on stupid, petty people. When I just skip over their mean comments, I feel so much better. It's no use trying to shame them or change their minds. They have no shame. I loved her tribute. I love Forget-Me-Nots, and I loved Diana. And the baby feet reminded me of my kids. Someone commented on the size of Archie's feet and they do look long for a newborn. I had two tiny, long, skinny baby girls, who both had very long thin feet. Took after their dad, who has always been tall and thin, with big feet. My son was a bit chunkier, so his feet didn't appear as large, but he grew up to have VERY big feet, and a big stature to match. Happy Mother's Day all!

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  5. This is a really adorable image! Meghan is an excellent stylist, with an eye for what is effective both visually and in content. I'm glad she's getting a voice. I really enjoy the poems. You're also excellent at styling, Charlotte!

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  6. I'm in love with this post. thanks Charlotte for keeping us informed.

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  7. A beautiful and touching post on this Mothers' Day.

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  8. A lovely and touching post, Charlotte. Thank you. I would like to add something missing from the Sussex Instagram post. I pay tribute to all the (often overlooked) mothers whose beloved darlings departed their first country before they could be born.

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    1. Very true - mothers who have lost children before they were born, but are not considered "mothers" because they are actually not raising a child. Or mothers who gave theirs up so they could have a better life being raised by another woman.

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    2. And also to all the women who are not officially mothers but are mother-figures, mentors and great examples to many! You hold a special place in many hearts!

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    3. A very thoughtful sentiment, Philly, and expressed in such a beautiful way.

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  9. I'm in love with this quote and I need more of this daily. thanks

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  10. Lovely! Thanks for posting!

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  11. It was a beautiful post..I'm so glad the Sussexes shared it; I agree Meghan must be directly involved, too, and am glad for her to have that avenue of creative expression. It reminds me that she is still learning to call a country that she was not born into physically, "home". She is embracing that initial displacement and that newness. I hope her first Mother's Day is sweet for her. <3

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  12. And we, in Poland, have to wait for the Mothers Day until May, 26th... At least the date doesn't change every year ;-).

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  13. I love the poem at the end. Raising daughters is tricky (I have four). They always complain I don't tell them they're pretty. Or if they ask me I tell them they are, but that it's not important, and it doesn't mean anything coming from me, because I'm not objective, to me they are the prettiest girls in the world. But it's hard because as much as I try to raise them to know that their worth isn't in their looks, I understand it's only natural for them to want to be pretty. So I'm always trying to find that balance in the middle.

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  14. I love how a big part of the picture (and caption) is actually a reference to Diana. I am sure this is something Harry was waiting to do for a long time and now he finally has the family and love to be able to do so. As Ivy Lin pointed out excellently, the picture is so strong visually and in content. Beautiful post from the Sussexes.
    Ella

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  15. Lovely post - Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there:) -op

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  16. Royal 👑 Watcher12 May 2019 at 19:36

    A beautiful post. Lucky Meghan to have had Archie so close to Mother’s Day! Forget-Me-Nots are my favourite flowers as well, they grew wild at my grandparents’ holiday house. Happy Mother’s Day to all you amazing mothers out there!

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  17. So thoughtful, meaningful, and even poignant. Thank you for this post.

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  18. What a beautiful, creative, touching way to honor mothers! Thank you for sharing it here, Charlotte. And thank you for the further introduction to Nayyirah Waheed. As a lover of poetry, I'm thrilled to be introduced to her work. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.

    R

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  19. The short version: "Pretty is as Pretty does."

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  20. Zora from Prague12 May 2019 at 21:42

    Thank you, Charlotte! What a beautiful post! And isn't it touching that on the first Mother's Day Meghan is celebrating as a mum, she also has her own mother by her side, in her new home!
    Love to all for whom this day is special! 💐

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  21. Thank you for this lovely Mother's Day Post, Charlotte. The Sussex instagram image is artistic, powerful, and poignant. The little feet so confidently crossed and cupped in Meghan's hands is such a moving image of a mother's love, and the forget-me-nots a touching tribute to Harry's mother. I felt a great wave of emotion when I saw it. The post is a wonderful tribute to all mothers, as it says, including Doria and Diana. It shows such sensitivity and compassion. Bravo to the Sussexes for their grace and understanding. This powerful image should silence the pettiness of their critics at least for today.

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    1. Sadly it didn't. The negative noise was as loud as ever. But I loved how you described this picture "artistic, powerful and poignant" so true!

      Melinda UK

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    2. Nicole from france13 May 2019 at 15:28

      Unfortunately, trolls and haters never stop .... I just realize that the photo of the Queen smiling to her new great grand son , which I enjoyed so much , was certainly , besides showing a happy great grandma , an answer to all haters, as was the photo of the Queen driving herself Carol Middleton around Balmoral ..... the Queen is quite good at that kind of subtiles symbols of family unity .... is it me , or does Archie really have big feet ? Just for fun , I remembered that the size of the feet of a puppy is a good information bout the adult size , so .... Archie is going to be a tall man ! He already is a lovely baby , anyway ! And he did come just in time for Mother day , what a good son he is !

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  22. Beautiful post Charlotte. I saw the @sussexroyal IG post and I was saddened to read some of the negative comments, I would love to see them turn off commenting on their feed just to remove a platform for the haters. I think their supporters would understand.

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  23. im pretty sure that the duchess sussex post it on instagram i love forget me not flower im princess diana watching her and her mom doria hmm i think thw grace and the of being first time is a great one she ahould be learning one on the best on her mom doria and her sister inlaw duchess catherine

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  24. Louise from NZ13 May 2019 at 00:48

    This is a lovely image and words. I think it's really special that they are sharing little glimpses like this with beautiful words. As well as including all mothers in it they have included Diana with her favourite flowers. Just beautiful.

    Just as a cheeky side note - Archie looks like he's got big feet!! Maybe it's the angle of the photo. :)

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    1. From a purely selfish point of view I love this post. It is beautiful, it introduced me to a new poet and like you say, such behind the scene peeks are special.
      But only time tell if these kind of posts is wize. My experience is that the more involved and invested people are in somebody, in this case in little Archie, the more they feel entitled to more, more and always more.

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  25. Is there proof that forget-me-nots was Diana's favorite flower? Since she's died, every flower on the planet has been said to have been her favorite. When she was alive, it was always said that small white flowers were her favorite, hence the choices at her funeral and in the sunken garden.

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    1. I recall reading somewhere that the name of Harry's charity, Sentebale, means "forget me not", so there would be some connection there.

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    2. Perhaps. I can't find any solid reference to forget-me-nots being her favorite flower. I keep fnding references to small white flowers though. Anon 14:10

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  26. Renee from South Africa13 May 2019 at 14:34

    Aaaaa this is just so sweet!! And I am sure that daddy Harry took the picture!

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  27. @SussexRoyal is everything I dreamed it would be and more. I love how personable and engaging Harry and Meghan are. They're really a credit to the UK, US and the whole world in general. God bless this power couple and sweet little Archie - who by the way has the most adorable feet ever!

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  28. Very nice post for Mother's Day from Meghan. I'm curious how long everyone thinks Meghan will be on maternity leave. I'm guessing that she will take the summer off to be home with Archie and return in the fall. Hoping we will see her at a few summer events (Trooping of the Colours, Ascot and maybe Wimbledon).

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    1. I am very bad at guessing what Meghan would do. But that won’t prevent me from speculating.

      With basically May, June and July before the royals take their summer break, I also think she would take off till the summer (with the exception of the events you mentioned) and return to royal duties sometime in September. Which will give her 5/6 months of maternity leave.
      But then I thought Harry would take paternity leave and he has basically continued as before Archie was born.

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  29. I suspect we will not see Archie that often, but maybe as much as we see the cousins' children, which has become more often. As much as little Archie seems a prince to me, when George grows up, his siblings' children will diminish in favor of his children, which would really leave Archie out of the loop. I think Harry sees private citizenship as a wonderful gift, which it really is. He sees Zara and Peter thriving and doesn't want his kids to depend on their status for their life's work. There may come a time when a prince/princess or king/queen can hold that position but also have a professional career. Until then, I'm afraid I have a lot of sympathy for "heirs."

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  30. Becca H in Colorado13 May 2019 at 16:53

    Really beautiful photo and so glad that we haven't entirely lost Meghan on Instagram :) I, too, wish the royal accounts would turn off the comments. It's just outrageous.

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  31. Truly lovely, if Harry took this photo, which I'm confident he did, this shows what an artistic soul he has

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  32. Caroline in Montana13 May 2019 at 21:01

    I thought this was a great photo! I try and avoid mothers day as I am a motherless daughter (almost 22 years) and was not fortunate to have children of my own. but I like the tribute. I hope she had a wonderful first mothers day with baby archie and her mother:)

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    1. Me, too, Caroline! As stated above, there's all kinds of mothering, which is caring about others. I'm sure you do that a lot. :)

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    2. Caroline in Montana, I want you to know, that my heart is with your's.

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  33. Do you think Meghan will attend lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding?

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  34. I love how thoughtful and how much attention Meghan pays to everything. This picture shows that so well! Baby Archie's tiny feet are simply adorable and having her late mother in law's favorite flower in the background was so intentional and sweet.

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  35. Thoughtful indeed. Thanks, Charlotte.

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  36. This was such a beautiful post by Meghan I love the poem too.

    Thanks Charlotte.

    I wish the new royal family all love, blessings and happiness

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  37. Charlotte do you think the Sussexes will share another photo of Archie like what Cambridges did a few weeks after the birth of their children? I know it might be different because he isn't an heir's child.

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    1. Hello,

      That's a very good question, I don't think we'll know the pattern until Archie is a year old. I wondered if we might see a family portrait to mark Harry and Meghan's one year anniversary?

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    2. Rita in Florida15 May 2019 at 23:59

      Ooooooo Charlotte, I hope you are right!! That would be lovely.

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  38. Those cute little baby feet, so sweet. And the poem. I shed a couple of tears. Mainly because a baby is such a joy and blessing and because both parents are simply too cute for words seeing the joy, bliss and wonder in their faces. And the poem, I copied it to tell my 8 y/o every single day to remind her and me that being beautiful, without having any substance behind it, can be a curse. And while Chelle is definitely cute I want her to always remember that your acts towards others, loving yourself, making sure you get a good education and use it for good, are what defines you as a human being. It makes me sad to see her and her girl classmates sizing each other up to see who is cutest. I wish Megan, Harry and Archie all the good life has to offer and that they're snug inside their cozy and private nest.

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  39. Even with Meghan on maternity leave, there seems to be a lot of activity, thank heavens. :) I resisted watching Gayle King's show but then I did see some and I was struck by how petite and un-twins-ish Meghan looked in videos rather than still photos. I also thought it was very touching of her friend Daniel to be so emotionally moved; he seems to say a bit more than other friends but I think that's his personality. And see the girls/young women having tea and being so articulate in why they admire Meghan was a tear-jerker. If all Meghan did in life was inspire these lovely ladies, then she has accomplished enough. I couldn't help but wonder if they would have received such good service without Gayle, but regardless it was wonderful to see on TV. It made a great statement.

    Again, friends and people who meet Meghan have only good things to say. So the negatively comes from strangers who pretend to know her.

    I am just blown away by Harry's pure happiness and love for his new family of three + Doria. He and Archie are going to be very very close. And Meghan looked like a 20-year-old when she appeared with the baby; amazing woman.

    It's going to be some long months here!

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  40. Have you seen this, Charlotte?

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7041487/Archies-birth-certificate-reveals-Meghan-gave-birth-Portland.html

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  41. Nicole from france18 May 2019 at 16:35

    Archie’birthe certificate ...... https://mobile.twitter.com/RoyaNikkhah/status/1129390428829175808/photo/1

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  42. I don't know why half my comments disappear, but I expect it's my incompetence with IT. I was wondering about future Mothers' Days. Archie lives in England, where Mothers Day is three weeks before Easter Sunday, but he has an American mother, who celebrates it on a different date. Will Archie feel he has to make two cards every year?
    Looking forward to seeing the next photos of him soon I hope.
    Sarah UK

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