Baby Archie might be a member of the Royal Family, but that’s not stopping him from celebrating a very American holiday - Thanksgiving.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly bringing Thanksgiving to the UK, despite initial reports that Harry, Meghan and Archie would be headed to the US.
As Meghan Markle is originally from Los Angeles, it’s not totally surprising that Prince Harry and Meghan would want to introduce their six-month-old son to the traditionally American holiday.
But new reports suggest the Duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, has flown to London to join them for their first Thanksgiving with Archie.
Before she was a member of the Royal Family, Meghan included her love for Thanksgiving on her Instagram and her lifestyle blog, The Tig. Though she’s since closed her social media accounts and The Tig, a dig back into The Tig Archives on Tumblr gives us a few clues on what might be in store for Archie’s first taste of Thanksgiving.
Since, above all, the holiday is about giving thanks for what you have, it won’t come as a surprise should Meghan and family do a bit of volunteering.
While Meghan’s involvement with charitable organizations is a large part of her public life now, it’s something she participated in before meeting Prince Harry. She even touched on the importance of Thanksgiving as a means of reflection in a Tig post from 2015.
“With 2015 rapidly winding down, it’s a perfect time to reflect on just how much we have to be thankful for,” she wrote. “Here is one of my very favorite Ted Talks about the power of gratitude; it’s honestly amazing. So whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving solo, or with friends and family, perhaps this will be food for thought. I once read a quote that said: “Place your hand over your heart. Feel that? It’s called purpose. You’re here for a reason.” Let’s always remember that.”
Of course, no Thanksgiving would be complete without the food, and while we aren’t sure how much baby Archie will actually be able to try himself, (he isn't even one yet, after all) you can almost guarantee there will be Turkey. “I love a brined, stuffed and roasted turkey,” Meghan previously wrote on The Tig.
In 2016, Meghan shared a throwback pic of a Thanksgiving turkey she had cooked herself. The since-deleted Instagram post was captioned, “Oh, that time I roasted a pretty perfect Thanksgiving turkey! The question is, can I do it again? The pressure is on!”
The Duchess of Sussex is a keen cook, previously nicknamed the "avocado toast whisperer" by her friend and make-up artist Daniel Martin. One of her earliest projects as a Royal Family member was the launch of a cookbook written by women affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire.
Whether Meghan will attempt the turkey herself this year or she’ll have some help from Harry or mom, Doria, we’re not sure. But judging from her old posts on The Tig, there will be plenty of side dishes and desserts.
In the past, Meghan has shared Thanksgiving recipes for oven roasted chicken breast with mushroom and leek gravy (should you be looking for a turkey alternative), foragers’ pie and a roasted acorn squash wedge salad. For dessert, she’s provided both indulgent and healthy options, with a caramel pear galette served with whipped cream and almond butter bites.
And once the Thanksgiving day feast is over, little Archie can expect tons of leftovers if Meghan’s old blog posts are anything to go by. Ahead of Thanksgiving in 2018, she shared a recipe for turkey tortilla soup, which she declared to be her “favorite meal with Thanksgiving leftovers.”
The Thanksgiving holiday is reportedly the start of a six week break from royal duties for the Duke and Duchess - including Christmas - so there’s plenty of time to enjoy those leftovers (and a bit of quiet with the family).
