Alert – Meghan Markle wears turtleneck sweater and winter coat in warm Beverly Hills sunshine for lunch at celebrity hotspot Cipriani… after surprise virtual appearance for London charity

Meghan Markle brought her winter wardrobe to the sunny streets of Beverly Hills on Thursday for a lunch date at the new 90210 celebrity hotspot, Cipriani.

The 42-year-old Suits star–turned–Duchess of Sussex flashed a smile for paparazzi as she emerged from the swanky Italian restaurant into the warm 66°F weather wearing a turtleneck sweater, thick cashmere winter coat and slacks.

Her surprise appearance at the buzzy newly opened eatery comes as she helped open a new wing of an animal charity in London, with the announcement of her virtual visit made via her and Harry’s glossy new Sussex.com website. 

Cipriani Beverly Hills, which is part of the storied fourth-generation-family Italian restaurant brand, only opened its doors in January of this year, following the opening of locations in Venice, Milan, New York and Las Vegas.

Meghan appeared to have stepped out for lunch without her husband Prince Harry joining her, though the couple appear to be looking to increase their public engagements.

Meghan Markle was grinning ear to ear when she was spotted out for lunch with friends at Cipriani in Beverly Hills on Thursday

The 42-year-old Suits star–turned–Duchess of Sussex showed off a winning casual-cool look with a black sweater and billowing slacks when she was seen exiting the Italian restaurant

She contrasted her black clothes with a luxurious brown cashmere overcoat that had a lustrous sheen, along with a matching handbag that she tucked under her arm.

Meghan kept her look simple and comfortable with a set of black-and-blue flats with intriguing cutouts along the sides, and she added some extra Hollywood style with a pair of black aviator-style sunglasses.

Her dark tresses were impeccably styled into long, lustrous curls that were draped across her chest. 

After her meal in the tony Los Angeles–surrounded city, Meghan quickly headed into a black SUV waiting at the curb.

She recently put her new Sussex.com website to use when she was able to honor her late friend Oli Juste by opening a new wing of an animal charity named for him.

Juste was a dog trainer and behaviorist who died in 2022. 

As his friends and family assembled for the opening of the Oli Juste wing, Meghan got emotional in her video address as she recounted how devastated she was to learn of her friend’s death in January 2022.

In her Sussex.com announcement, she shared a cute photo of herself in an elegant beige coat as she crouched down to bond with an adorable Jack Russell Terrier.

Meghan appeared to have stepped out for lunch without her husband Prince Harry joining her, though the couple appear to be looking to increase their public engagements 

She contrasted her black clothes with a luxurious brown overcoat and a matching handbag tucked under her arm. Meghan rocked black-and-blue flats with cutouts along the sides, plus a pair of black aviator-style sunglasses

Her dark tresses were impeccably styled into long, lustrous curls that were draped across her chest

Her surprise appearance at the buzzy new eatery comes as she helped open a new wing of an animal charity in London, with the announcement of her virtual visit made via her and Harry’s glossy new Sussex.com website

‘A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful team at Mayhew who have worked tirelessly to bring this dream to life,’ she gushed in her message to the animal charity.

‘It was so important to find a way to celebrate Oli’s memory in a manner that he would have loved.

‘Mayhew is a beacon of hope for those in need and a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together,’ she added.

The virtual appearance came just days after Meghan’s husband Prince Harry reportedly told some of his friends that he was willing to return to the UK to attend to royal duties.

Sources told The Times of London that Harry, 39, wanted to help carry some of the load as his father King Charles, 75, undergoes cancer treatments.

However, royal expert Hugh Vickers told that his presence wasn’t desired by the royal family, despite reports that Charles is still keen to reconcile with him.

‘I personally, actually don’t think that there’s any wish on anyone’s side for him to come home at the moment, and take up royal duties again,’ Vickers said.

‘He can’t suddenly pick up royal duties again, under the present circumstances, it’s quite a long way [away]. It’s always possible to reconcile. It’s always possible for things to be sorted out, but not that quickly. So no, is the answer.’ 

She was honoring her late friend Oli Juste, who died in January 2022, by opening the wing after it was named in his honor

The virtual appearance came just days after Meghan’s husband Prince Harry reportedly told some of his friends that he was willing to return to the UK to attend to royal duties

Sources told The Times of London that Harry, 39, wanted to help carry some of the load as his father King Charles, 75, undergoes cancer treatments

However, royal expert Hugh Vickers told that his presence wasn’t desired by the royal family, despite reports that Charles is still keen to reconcile with him

‘He can’t suddenly pick up royal duties again, under the present circumstances, it’s quite a long way [away]. It’s always possible to reconcile. It’s always possible for things to be sorted out, but not that quickly. So no, is the answer,’ Vickers said

Though Harry is a counsellor of state, both he and Meghan stepped down from their positions as working royals in 2020

Vickers continued: ‘His father has never responded to any of the jibes that have come in his direction [and] has left the door wide open for [Harry].

‘The other day, he came to see him and I would hope that was a tonic for the King. I don’t know whether it was, but I hope so because he obviously loves his son,’ he added.

Though Harry is a counsellor of state, both he and Meghan stepped down from their positions as working royals in 2020.

Experts have said they believe he is not currently being considered to return to any senior duties.