Meghan Markle, celebrating her birthday with friends Cleo Wade, left, and Kadi Lee, right, appears comfortable being spotted out and about and in casual settings with friends. Photo / Instagram
Meghan Markle, celebrating her birthday with friends Cleo Wade, left, and Kadi Lee, right, appears comfortable being spotted out and about and in casual settings with friends. Photo / Instagram
After the fallout of her and husband Prince Harry’s Netflix docuseries, the duke’s explosive memoir and their defunct Spotify deal, Meghan Markle laid low.
But as she holed up in her $26 million California mansion, she was planning her return to the spotlight. This time as an elite but approachable woman of power, comfortable being spotted out running errands and confidently about to launch a new commercial venture.
According to Page Six, the former senior royals’ battle for privacy is over and Markle has been plotting a rise from the ashes for months.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are closing the chapter on their damning revelations of life within the royal family and appear to be looking forward to new ventures. Photo / Getty Images
And in the last week, she’s appeared in casual photographs with friends posted to social media and has a yet to officially launch Instagram account @meghan, which already has 74,300 followers, including Nobel Prize winner Malala.
An insider told the publication: “Meghan’s not seeking out opportunities to be photographed, but she’s realised she has to live her life, none of the cameras are going away.”
Markle's new rumoured Instagram profile has grown to over 74,000 followers. Photo / Instagram
So she’s happily been spotted shopping at a local farmers’ market, attending a screening of the Barbie movie with friend Portia de Rossi and popping up at Taylor Swift’s concert in Los Angeles.
Her new approach comes as Page Six also reports Markle is finalising a deal on a new revenue stream, signing on for a new project with Hollywood power broker and friend Ari Emmanuel’s WME.
While details are yet to be revealed, it’s been suggested the former actress could be gearing up to launch a Gwyneth Paltrow Goop-style brand. Or revive her lifestyle blog, The Tig.
A Page Six insider reveals: “Meghan and the team are working hard.”
Insiders say while Prince Harry would happily never appear in the media again, wife Meghan Markle "actually likes being famous". Photo / Getty Images
“I think it will be surprising, it won’t be what everybody is expecting it to be, it will feel familiar to who Meghan is.”
Meanwhile, it appears the duchess’ willingness to be photographed out and about could also be strategic.
After she was snapped wearing a stress patch on her wrist, sales of the product sky-rocketed, a signal that Markle still has influence and the ability to generate revenue from her personal brand.
And while the former Suits star looks to be at ease being back in the spotlight, an insider says her husband would be quite happy never appearing in the media again.
“Harry has made it clear that he never wanted to be in the media … he would be very happy to go away. I think he’d like to go and live in Botswana – as long as he had money.
“Meghan actually likes being famous.”
A Spotify insider also said: “The thing about Harry is that he’s super, super down to earth, just not this specific earth!
“When he talks about getting the Pope for a podcast, he truly thinks he can do this, he gets very excited.”
And Page Six reports that a source close to the couple says Harry “understands that he’s a public figure” and that it would be “delusional to expect a life out of the spotlight”.
What he’s really concerned about is the privacy of his children, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2.
Harry and a pregnant Meghan embrace their son Archie. Photo / Netflix
“If he’s seen out getting dinner he doesn’t have a problem with it, but what he struggles with is protecting his children and their innocence, so much of what he felt was really challenging in his own life,” the insider says.
Looking ahead, in addition to Markle’s mysterious new deal in the works, the couple will produce the novel, Meet Me at the Lake for Netflix and are said to be “at peace” in their lives and relationship.
“They’re not divorcing, they’re not moving – they have more confidence and they’re at peace. They are making friends in their community and they’re feeling more comfortable to explore,” the insider told Page Six.
They added that they have closed a chapter on their privacy struggles with their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s memoir now in the past.
“But this is really the closest we’ve seen Harry and Meghan achieve some level of normalcy — ever.”
