Here's Why Valentine's Day Isn't The Most Romantic Day Of The Year For The Royals

I don't know how royal people work. Do they eat bread? Do they sleep eight hours a night? Do they enjoy cable television? It seems their laundry list of responsibilities and the expectations thrust upon them might get in the way of these natural human joys. Everyone was obsessed with how the royal clan celebrated the holidays, which leaves fans with the new question: Do the royals celebrate Valentine's Day? The answer is, well, not really. Not in the formal sense of the word, anyway.

While I'd like to believe Duchesses Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle wake up to a bouquet of flowers or swap chocolates with Dukes Prince William and Prince Harry, it hasn't always gone down that way in the past. Sometimes, a royal's calendar is just too packed to make time for lovey-dovey intimate moments inside the palace. In fact, sometimes couples are split up entirely and aren't able to see their spouses at all on the year's romantic day!

Take Kate Middleton's first Valentine's Day as a royal, for example. Rather than eating a candlelit dinner in the backyard of the palace, she visited Alder Hey Children's hospital. At the time, her new husband Prince William was in military training in Argentina.

Prior to that, Prince Harry had a military-based Valentine's Day, too. In 2008, nearly 10 years before meeting Meghan, Harry actually spent Valentine's Day serving as a Forward Air Controller for the military in Afghanistan.

While I'm certain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex must have something sweet planned this year, they definitely hit the ground running after marrying in May 2018. Last year for the first Valentine's Day as a public couple, the newly-engaged duo was busy traveling in Edinburgh with royal duties. However, there was intentionally nothing scheduled on their itinerary for February 14th. In fact, a Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to Express.co.uk they had the entire day free to be together.

Time also reported Meghan once wrote about how she loves the romantic holiday on her old lifestyle blog The Tig. The blog has since been taken down due to her new status as a royal family member, but some gems remain on record. According to Time, she wrote:

Hook, line and sinker, I am such a sucker for Valentine’s Day. Without fail, every February 14th, I wake up feeling like I’m immersed in a Robert Doisneau photo, waiting with bated breath to be dipped into a kiss. This is all happening in black and white, of course. And in Paris, if I had my way.

While Meghan may not be kissing in Paris, she is walking around married to a literal prince about to have a royal baby. Even if that isn't her exact version of a fairytale, it must be somebody's out there! Meghan also went on to say that at the end of the day, the specifics of Valentine's Day don't matter as long as you're with someone you love. "But delusions of francophile grandeur aside, Valentine’s Day is special wherever you happen to find yourself," she wrote. "And in terms of gifts, be it breakfast in bed, a sweet love note, or a single flower, it really is the thought that counts."

Agreed, Megs. Happy V-Day, babe.