Meghan Markle's Latest Appearance Shows How She's Made a Mark on Her Montecito Neighborhood

Meghan Markle’s 2024 PR strategy has been to lay low as much as possible — fans never know when and where she’s going to turn up next. On Saturday, Sept. 7, the Duchess of Sussex made an appearance in the Summerland, Calif., area near Montecito to help boost a small business.

Kate Middleton & Prince William Pack on the PDA in a Heartwarming Update Video

Meghan attended the Godmothers bookstore’s grand opening, along with Oprah Winfrey, author Shaka Senghor, astrologer Jennifer Freed, and the business owners Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Victoria Jackson, per People. Jackson, a former makeup artist and beauty brand owner, met the Duchess of Sussex through Gloria Steinem, according to WWD , and they’ve been Montecito besties ever since.

In Meghan’s famous 2022 interview for The Cut , she described her friends as a “safe harbor,” so it’s no wonder why she showed up to support Jackson’s new business venture. Naturally, that support goes both ways as Meghan’s book, The Bench , and Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare , are prominently featured in the store. Fans can even sneak a peek at their “local authors” Instagram video which can be seen here.

This soft appearance by Meghan continues what has been the Sussexes’ 2024 PR strategy, most of their events have been a surprise this year. Outside of their much-celebrated visits to Nigeria and Colombia, the couple avoided the red carpet at the ESPYs in July, preferring to let Harry’s acceptance speech for the Pat Tillman Award for Service do the talking.

Now that the dynamic duo have put the storm of headlines from Harry’s memoir and their joint Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan , behind them, they are looking ahead to their California future — and it’s relatively low-key . “Normally when you see him around here, he’s walking his Labrador on the beach or on his bicycle followed by his security in a Range Rover,” a neighbor shared with The Telegraph earlier in September. “They keep themselves to themselves. I haven’t seen Harry around much.” Meghan has even joined a mahjong group to play the traditional Chinese board game — it sounds downright quaint and normal.

Despite a neighborhood filled with A-list stars, Meghan continues to invest in the Montecito community in her subtle and quiet way — not a red carpet or camera to be found!

Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.