Meghan Markle joins Oprah Winfrey for surprise bookstore appearance near their Montecito homes
Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance at a bookstore opening in Santa Barbara, Calif., over the weekend.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, joined her pal Oprah Winfrey at the grand opening of Godmothers bookstore in Summerland, Calif., near Montecito — where she and Prince Harry have resided since quitting royal life in 2020.
The “Suits” alum rocked a chic sleeveless navy blue tuxedo jumpsuit from Club Monaco for the occasion.
Markle paired her business-inspired look with a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace. She kept her hair tied back in a ponytail and accessorized with a pair of Jimmy Choo sandals.
In a snap shared on social media by author Laura Lynne Jackson, the former actress was seen speaking onstage at the event.
“Most light-filled evening of speakers…” Jackson captioned the pic.
The event proved to be star-studded, as Winfrey, author Shaka Senghor, and astrologer Jennifer Freed also came long to the opening.
The store’s co-founders, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Victoria Jackson, were also in attendance.
While Markle’s husband wasn’t at the soiree, the Duke of Sussex’s bombshell memoir “Spare” was featured on the “hometown authors” display shelf.
The display also included Gwyneth Paltrow’s “It’s All Easy,” as well as Markle’s children’s book “The Bench” that she released in 2021.
“We celebrate our hometown authors as if they were our hometown heroes, because to us they are,” Walsh said in a video following the store’s opening.
It’s no surprise that Markle was asked to join Winfrey, 70, at the event.
The pair have been close friends and share the same social circle after the Sussexes sensationally shut the door on royal life and moved across the pond over four years ago.
Winfrey was also a guest at the pair’s royal wedding in May 2018.
In March 2021, Harry and Markle trusted Winfrey to conduct a tell-all interview in which they made a myriad of bombshell revelations about life in the palace.
Markle was one of several speakers at the bookstore launch, which took place a day before the second anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
The poignant date was marked by a commemorative service at Balmoral by King Charles.