How Meghan Markle Spent Her 43rd Birthday Weekend with Prince Harry, Little Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. More Photos Below

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

 

It’s been a quiet few months for the Duchess of Sussex. Following her last public appearance on May 16 at Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision gala—which ended in what the couple claimed was a “near-catastrophic car chase” but was later described as far less dramatic by the New York Police Department—she and Prince Harry have kept a low profile in their Montecito home.

 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Yet in the days surrounding Meghan Markle’s 42nd birthday on August 4, they’ve slowly stepped back into the spotlight.

Last Wednesday the duke and duchess released a video announcing the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund, launched by their foundation Archewell. The endeavor, which offers grants to young people changing the future of technology, is one of the larger and more tangible initiatives they’ve backed. The couple then received a slew of positive headlines after weeks of negative ones: In addition to the controversial car chase, Spotify and the Sussexes announced they “mutually agreed” to part ways in June. (Harry and Meghan had only produced one podcast, Archetypes, after signing a reported $20 million deal with the company in 2020 to produce a number of podcasts.)

In the video for Archewell, the couple also delivered a subtle message through their style. The duchess wore a caramel tunic-neck top and trousers, while the duke color-coordinated in a pair of similar-shade chinos. Amid all the tumult, the two put on a visual front showing they were still in sync.

Hours later paparazzi captured Harry and Meghan out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Montecito. The duchess wore a black-and-white striped maxidress by Posse, black sandals, and a Cult Gaia bag—all pieces that, while elevated, wouldn’t make any headlines for being out of touch or exorbitant. (Her dress, for example, retails at $240.) As she flashed a smile at the camera, it was hard not to recall the Markle Sparkle—the nickname she got as a working royal due to her low-key, elegant outfits that would often sell out online as soon as she wore them.

That wasn’t the only softer, lifestyle-oriented story about Meghan to break last week: She also reportedly went to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie with Portia de Rossi and met up with friends afterward at San Ysidro Ranch.

While the couple hasn’t released any specific information about her day-of birthday celebrations (and it’s unlikely they will do so), the reports and pictures come at an interesting time for the Duchess of Sussex. In late April, Variety announced that she had signed with mega-agency WME. While acting will not be a focus, “film and television production, brand partnerships, and overall business building will be explored,” they confirmed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to attend the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, in early September. Whether they will be spotted out and about between now and then remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: Harry and Meghan are looking to put forth a united front as they enter their next chapter—that may or may not involve less explosive headlines and possibly even a brand ambassadorship.Shop Meghan’s birthday dress, below, plus more picks: