Meghan Markle's Maternity Leave Will End With The Launch Of Her Fashion Venture

Can you believe it has almost been four months since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their first child? The world rejoiced when Archie Harrison was born on May 6, and once again when fans got their first glimpse of the newborn a few days later. Since then, baby Archie has been seen once in public and the Duchess of Sussex has been spotted a handful of times, although Markle is still on maternity leave. Understandably, many fans miss seeing the royal around, and some might be wondering: When does Meghan Markle return from maternity leave?

In case you lost track, Markle's last appearance before beginning her maternity leave was the Commonwealth Day service on March 11. So she had just under two months to catch her breath and prepare for her little one's arrival. Markle has since made a few public appearances while remaining on leave, but you can expect to see her a lot more now that her maternity leave will likely soon come to an end.

That magical date is Sept. 12, with the Duchess of Sussex reportedly returning to her royal duties to launch a collection of women’s workwear she created with her friend, designer Misha Nonoo. The clothing line will benefit Smart Works, an organization that connects women with professional clothing and tips for job interviews, Today reported. For every item purchased in the collection, one will be donated to Smart Works.

The launch will reportedly take place in London, where the Duchess of Sussex will give a speech. "Meghan will make a short speech before watching a panel discussion with SmartWorks reps, two of its clients & Patron," The Sun royal correspondent Emily Andrews tweeted. "She’ll then meet Smart Works and brand representatives who will talk through the SW journey every client undergoes—including wardrobe and interview."

“When you walk into a Smart Works space you’re met with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes,” Markle wrote in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest-edited, according to People. “Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched sizes and colors, not always the right stylistic choices or range of sizes.”

She continued:

To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Mischa Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe. Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.

Although Markle will reportedly resume royal appearances next week, it's not like she has been sitting at home doing nothing this whole time. In addition to caring for her newborn and adjusting to her new role as a mom, she has been quite busy. She worked as the guest editor of British Vogue, of course. Plus, she attended Trooping the Colour in June to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's birthday. The Duchess and Archie also attended a polo match — in which Prince Harry was playing — for King Power Royal Charity Polo Day in July. Not to mention her appearances at a baseball game with Prince Harry, at Wimbledon with Kate Middleton, and at the European premiere of The Lion King.

I don't know about you, but I'm pumped to see even more of Meghan Markle in the coming weeks. Hopefully, her transition from maternity goes smoothly and fingers crossed she's given a warm "welcome back" next Thursday, especially.