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Meghan Markle made a public appearance to support fellow writers at the opening of a new bookstore in Santa Barbara. On Saturday, September 7, the 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex attended the grand opening of Godmothers Bookstore in Summerland, California, located near her Montecito residence, where she and Prince Harry have lived since 2020.
For the event, Meghan opted for a stylish, business-casual look, wearing a sleeveless navy blue tuxedo jumpsuit from Club Monaco, with her hair styled in a sleek ponytail. She accessorized with a pair of simple diamond earrings to complete the outfit.
Author Laura Lynne Jackson shared a snapshot of Meghan onstage, addressing the crowd with a microphone in hand, captioning the photo on her Instagram Stories as "Most light-filled evening of speakers..." The event saw notable attendees, including Meghan's friend and neighbor Oprah Winfrey, author Shaka Senghor, astrologer Jennifer Freed, and bookstore co-founders Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Victoria Jackson.
Though Prince Harry, 39, was not present, his memoir, Spare (2023), was showcased in a special display featuring works by local authors. Also featured were Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook It's All Easy and Meghan's children's book The Bench.
Co-founder Rudolph Walsh expressed admiration for the local authors, saying, "We celebrate our hometown authors as if they were our hometown heroes, because to us, they are." Meghan's The Bench, which highlights a more emotionally grounded and tender side of masculinity, became a New York Times bestseller in June 2021.
Meghan and Harry relocated to California following their departure from royal duties. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple shared insights into their decision to step back from their roles in the royal family. A spokesperson confirmed that they had "settled into" their Montecito home, hoping their privacy would be respected in the peaceful community where they now reside.
