How Do The Sussexes And Cambridges’ Holiday Styles Compare?

How do you holiday like a Duchess? Tropical destinations, five-star suites? Turns out, it actually depends on the duchess, with the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex exhibiting opposite approaches to travel.

Last week, reports emerged that Harry and Meghan had enjoyed a six-day holiday in Ibiza to mark Meghan’s 38th birthday at the beginning of August. According to a Spanish newspaper, the couple and baby Archie took a private jet – a mode of transport criticised for its major carbon footprint – and a small security team to the Balearic island. They are thought to have returned by using a private jet rental service known as ‘the Uber for billionaires’. Buckingham Palace has declined to comment, and the couple have managed to keep many details private, but Meghan’s previous travel choices seem to contrast with Kate’s approach.

‘Meghan loves to get away and really relax, but she also doesn’t like to stay still,’ a royal insider tells Grazia. ‘So it ends up being a holiday of active relaxation.’ That means yoga and meditation are firm fixtures on the itinerary. She has visited Ibiza before – with friends in 2016 – and has previously been spotted at the Atzaró Hotel, known for its cool, relaxed style. But she also goes off the beaten track. While visiting Malta in 2015, she learnt about her ancestry (her great-grandmother was from there) and her first honeymoon – with producer Trevor Engelson – was a two-week drive across New Zealand visiting glaciers and swimming with dolphins. Harry shares this love of exploration. ‘I think that’s why that first trip to Botswana was such a clincher for Meghan,’ a source says. ‘It showed her Harry found peace in exploration, like her.’

If adventure is key for the Sussexes, seclusion tops the list for Kate and William. They honeymooned in the Seychelles, and enjoy ski trips to Courchevel, but Mustique is their go-to spot – not least because Kate favours sun, relaxation and solitude. They visited the island last month with George, Charlotte and Louis. ‘When they are in Mustique, William and Kate love to spend time with the children, taking them to the beach and having big meals, but they also love to have time to themselves,’ a source explains. ‘They can stay under the radar, have some drinks and relax far more than they can at home. While there, Kate will be found sunbathing and reading, and she and William will enjoy the occasional game of tennis.

With their contrasting ideas of what makes the perfect holiday, it is perhaps no surprise that the two couples don’t head to the same destinations. Royal convention would restrict them travelling anywhere together anyway as royals are expected to take separate flights for fear of an accident that could disrupt the line of succession. But more than that, the couples may well be avoiding a holiday union. All four would traditionally be expected to visit the Queen at Balmoral this summer, but as Grazia went to press, neither couple had made the trip.

Last week royal correspondent Robert Jobson suggested that Kate and William may be waiting to clarify their travel plans until they know when Harry and Meghan are going. They may, he said, ‘delay their trip until Harry and Meghan have returned to Windsor’. But if they do meet up, shared time could still be limited. William and Kate usually stay in a former gatekeeper’s cottage, with Harry and Meghan in a separate cottage elsewhere.

If they do find time to spend together, could Meghan teach Kate her ways of active relaxation? Could Kate show Meghan the joys of doing nothing? The middle ground could create the perfect holiday