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Here’s Why Prince Harry Unexpectedly Just Broke His Paternity Leave

With the arrival of a new baby, a lot has changed for Prince Harry, but one surprising thing has stayed the same: He doesn’t stay on paternity leave for long. Allow us to explain.

Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they had welcomed their second child together in a personal statement on their Archewell foundation website. They also revealed that they would be going on parental leave (their Archewell Foundation offers a 20-week paid policy per People).

The message read: “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world...This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family. 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!”

And it seems like after just six days, Prince Harry has already broken his leave because he was recently featured in a video announcing the 2023 Invictus Games. The clip, which was posted on Instagram Thursday, featured the duke speaking into the camera: “It's time to spread the news. Something big is coming to Germany.”

Not staying on leave is becoming a pattern for Harry. In fact, when he and Meghan Markle welcomed baby Archie two years ago, the duke, who was allowed two weeks per the U.K. guidelines followed by the royal fam, hopped on a plane to attend a royal engagement after just a few days.

While we’re happy to see Harry’s face, we have a feeling this is one of the rare times he'll be making an appearance over the next few months.

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