Meghan Markle was seen for the first time since Prince Harry rushed to visit his cancer-stricken father, King Charles.
The Duchess of Sussex beamed a smile as she drove around near her $14 million home in Montecito.
Meghan sat relaxed behind the wheel of her Range Rover wearing a baseball cap and dark, oversized sunglasses, sipping from a cup of coffee as she drove.
Her appearance on Wednesday marked the first time she has been photographed in public since Prince Harry flew to London to visit his ailing father.
The prince embarked on a trip to visit King Charles after the monarch was diagnosed with a shocking cancer diagnosis. It is believed Harry only spent 45 minutes with his father and Queen Camilla before heading back.
Charles was said to be unhappy as he “did his heels” and waited for Harry's arrival while delaying his trip to Sandringham “in search of 'peace and quiet'”.
Meghan Markle beamed as she drove around near her $14 million home in Montecito on Wednesday
The Duchess was out while waiting for her husband Prince Harry to return from London, where he was visiting his cancer-stricken father, King Charles
The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, pictured in the Windsor Suite at London Heathrow Airport on his way back to the US after seeing his father
After meeting his son, King Charles left Clarence House with Queen Camilla yesterday
Harry's visit did not include a meeting with his estranged brother and heir to the throne, Prince William, or his wife Kate Middleton, who is recovering from surgery. Both Meghan and Harry have withdrawn from monarchy life since the couple stepped back from their royal roles.
The Duke, 39, arrived at Heathrow just before 2pm and arrived back in LA on Wednesday evening.
He was traveling without his two young children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
The father and son had a “brief meeting” before the King and Camilla were driven to Buckingham Palace, where a helicopter was waiting to take them back to Sandringham.
Particularly absent from the reunion was his brother Prince William. There is no sign that tensions between the two have eased since Harry and Meghan decided to step back from senior royal duties in 2020.
“William showed today that he has rejected Harry, that he doesn't want to know him and that he probably doesn't even like him anymore.” “Harry is simply not a part of his life,” royal expert Jennie Bond told .
“This rift is so deep now, and it showed when Harry was here and they didn't meet, so deep that I really wonder if it can ever, ever be repaired.”
In addition to dealing with his father's health issues, William also looks after his wife Kate, who is recovering from abdominal surgery.
Wearing a relaxed look in a cap and sunglasses, the Duchess kept one hand on the steering wheel as she sipped from a cup of coffee
It is believed Prince Harry would return to LA around 6.30pm local time
The King is stepping away from his royal duties while he is treated for an unspecified cancer. Harry's brief visit to Charles did not include a meeting with his estranged brother, Prince William
Expert Richard Fitzwilliams suggested that the fact that Prince Harry made the trip at all shows hope for a reconciliation.
He told Web: “Having cancer changed the whole situation.” The fact that the King was diagnosed with what millions know is life-threatening has changed the entire relationship between the royal family and the Sussexes.
“The only way for a family to beat cancer is to come together.”
“There's been a lot of talk about the length of Harry's visit and his quick departure, but that's not the point.” The point is that Harry came – and Charles told him the diagnosis. He wanted to express his support, it's a completely new situation.
The meeting between Harry and Charles was their first formal face-to-face meeting since the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022. The prince attended Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey in May last year but was not seen interacting with the newly crowned king and queen seen.
Buckingham Palace announced Monday that the royal was undergoing treatment for an unspecified cancer.
According to the palace, doctors discovered the cancer just over a week earlier while treating the monarch for an enlarged prostate.
He returned to his Sandringham estate to recover from treatment, arriving by royal helicopter at around 4.20pm.
It is believed Harry stayed in a luxury hotel during his stay in the UK, as he has technically become homeless since his eviction from Frogmore Cottage last year.
Meghan was said to be at home with the couple's children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two, while Harry was in the UK
Harry's visit to his father reportedly only lasted about 45 minutes
The brief visit did not include a reunion with his brother Prince William, as the rift between the two remains open since Harry stepped down from royal duties
While Harry was in London, Meghan was believed to be at home in Montecito with her children while nearly all of Southern California was under flood warnings and watches.
The historic Pineapple Express weather system dumped record amounts of rain on parts of Los Angeles on Monday, sending mud and boulders down the hillsides where multimillion-dollar homes stood.
The storm is causing chaos in several regions, including star-studded Beverly Hills, Malibu and the Sussexes' Montecito neighborhood.
Harry and Meghan, George Clooney, Lady Gaga and Halle Berry are among the celebrities whose multi-million dollar mansions are threatened by the severe storms.
The Sussexes' $14.65 million Montecito mansion was under a flood warning for 28 hours while surrounding Santa Barbara County was inundated with inches of rainfall on Monday.