How Meghan Markle spent her 42nd birthday weekend

It’s been a quiet few months for Meghan Markle. 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.

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

Last Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a video announcing the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund, launched by their foundation Archewell. The endeavour, 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 colour-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 afterwards at San Ysidro Ranch.