Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have an extra pair of hands to help with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland, has moved in.
Meghan has always been close to mum Doria, whether she’s treating her to a Beyoncé concert as a birthday gift or doing their secret handshake with her. And now, the 67-year-old has moved into the pair’s Montecito home.
According to reports, the Ohio-born social worker has moved into her daughter and son-in-law’s guesthouse to help them through “tough times” after a year which has sometimes been challenging for the couple.
It’s thought that Doria has always been a hands-on grandmother with Archie and Lilibet, helping out frequently, and it’s been reported that she’s even had grandparenting lessons from baby expert Brandi Jordan, costing the equivalent of around £5,000 per session. And, she’s signed up for Brandi’s Cradle Company service, which helps in “bringing your family balance, structure, guidance, and harmony."
Indeed, MailOnline reported in 2019 that Doria’s stepmother, retired teacher Ava Burrows, said, “I’d assume she is going to be a hands-on grandmother. In some families in the U.S., grandma is a big deal. Historically, in our culture, the mother worked long hours and needed all the support with her kids that she could get.
“Grandmas have all sorts of names – Mee-maw, Gran’maw – and usually live close together with the rest of the family, playing a big part raising their grandkids. Doria is very important to Meghan, and vice-versa. So I’m sure she wants to be a big part of her life, and her baby’s life. She’ll be a wonderful grandmother.”
And a source told the Daily Express that Doria has been a “rock” for Meghan over the past year, both being there for Meghan herself and also helping with childcare.
One advantage of Doria’s move has been that she no longer needs to take a three-hour car journey from View Park-Windsor Hills in Los Angeles County whenever she wants to visit her daughter and grandchildren, and it’s thought that this was a factor in her move.
The source explained, “Doria looks fighting fit but she’s nearly 70 and gets tired of the car rides … so it made sense for her to move into the guesthouse. She now spends more time there than in her own house.”
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