Meghan Markle was near her old stomping grounds the day before her and Prince Harry's visit to Nottingham. The Duchess of Sussex was spotted arriving for lunch at The Park restaurant, not far from Kensington Palace, where she and the Duke once lived on the grounds at Nottingham Cottage.
The As ever founder was joined on Wednesday by hairstylist George Northwood, who was behind Meghan's bun for her evening wedding reception in 2018. In the past, George has also accompanied Meghan on royal tours, including Australia and Tonga.
Meghan stylishly stepped out wearing cropped jeans, a black M&S tuxedo blazer and nude Jennifer Chamandi heels with a cross-strap detail for the lunch. They are said to have spent two hours at the London restaurant.
The Duchess' visit to the British capital came one day ahead of her and Prince Harry's joint visit to Nottingham.
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The couple's return to the city is a special one, as Nottingham was where Meghan undertook her first royal engagement after becoming engaged to King Charles' younger son in 2017. Now, it is where they will make their first official joint appearance since moving back to the UK in late August.
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On Thursday, the Duke and Duchess are set to visit the Community Recording Studio, a youth and community charity, in St Ann's, Nottingham. The couple will then travel to the Himmah Hub, where meals and cooking classes will take place followed by the packaging of food parcels at a Foodbank. The second event of the day will celebrate the legacy of the Together: Our Community Cookbook, which Meghan penned the foreword for.
The visit to Nottingham will conclude on October 15 with a visit to Epic Partners, a charity that supports children, young people and families in St Ann's and Sneinton.
Earlier this month, Meghan and Harry were pictured enjoying a pub date in the Cotswolds. They have also been spotted separately, with the Duke attending a rugby match with his cousin, George McCorquodale, while the Duchess has visited pubs, Soho Farmhouse and London's Claridge's hotel.
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While Megan and Harry will be carrying out royal-style engagements on Thursday, they are not working members of the royal family. The pair stepped back from royal duties in 2020 before moving to California.
Following their return to British soil this past August, it was confirmed that Meghan and Harry would remain private citizens while in the UK. A letter issued by the Lord Chamberlain, at the King's direction, stated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's "position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
A spokesperson for the pair later said that the Duke and Duchess were "a little surprised not to have been told about" the letter in advance.