As she arrived for one of her appearances at last week’s Invictus Games in Chanel slingbacks, a J Crew cardigan and grey linen STAUD shorts, Meghan Markle, 42, looked worlds away from the more structured attire she pulled out for Royal engagements. Her cheery demeanour was also miles from the often uncertain and drawn expression that came to characterise her time as an official Royal. Put simply: Meghan looked to be in her element at Invictus, a multi-sport competition for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, the jewel in the crown of the charity founded by Prince Harry in 2014.  

The night before, Meghan had chosen an understated $70 Banana Republic shirt dress to speak to the waiting crowds, explaining why she and Harry, 39, had made a staggered arrival to the event in Dusseldorf, Germany.

‘I’m sorry that I was a little late to the party. Just like so many of you this is about family and friends and the community that Invictus has created…so I just had to spend a little bit more time at home getting our little ones settled, getting milkshakes, doing school drop off, and then I landed a couple of hours ago,’ she said in an apparently off-the-cuff speech.

Indeed, mere hours before landing in Germany, Meghan had been spotted picking up burgers and shakes at In N Out in California for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. While they didn’t join their parents on the trip, Meghan said, ‘We can’t wait to bring our kids also so they can experience just how awesome this is.’

This ‘family first’ message was perfectly pitched for an event filled with families and children, but one which is also driving everything that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning for over the next year.

Whilst their home in Montecito has been their haven in the years since they left the Royal Family,  Meghan and Harry are reportedly now searching for a home in Malibu – closer to meetings and opportunities in Los Angeles – so the couple can continue growing their brand and businesses, therefore future-proofing their much needed finances. A source tells Grazia: ‘Harry and Meghan are rethinking things now, several years on from their stepping down as Royals. At that time, it was about survival, and finding a safe place to ride out the storm. Now: it’s chapter two.’ The next chapter, according to the source, involves not only turning Brand Sussex (which will include the relaunch of Meghan’s wellness blog The Tig, and their production work with Netflix) into a globally recognisable brand but also their re-establishing themselves in the public eye – albeit now as A-list stars rather than in their former, more official capacity. 

This was move was made clear by Harry and Meghan’s surprise appearance at Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour at the SoFi stadium in Inglewood on Friday 1st September, other Hollywood names who attended the LA shows included Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos and Kelly Rowland (with whom Meghan was photographed when she returned for night three on the following Wednesday, sans Harry). The relocation to Malibu would mark a step away from the quieter life Harry and Meghan had established and also, according to Grazia’s source, demonstrates a step further back into Meghan’s former showbiz life. With talent management mogul Ari Emannuel, who founded Endeavor (formerly William Morris Endeavor), helping them plan their every move, it’s clear that they are on a path which now couldn’t be more different from the Royal Family’s. And, says Grazia’s source, that’s just fine with Meghan and Harry.

‘The Invictus Games have been the perfect opportunity for them to really front a big event by themselves and show off one of their passions,’ said the source. ‘Charity work will continue to sit firmly alongside their movie production and Meghan’s Goop-style blog. It’s all mapped out: this is just the beginning.’