Meghan Markle reportedly spoke about her recent trip to the United Kingdom while at an A‑list dinner in California, according to remarks made by lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.
When a palace visit becomes dinner-party fodder
Stewart, 85, told PEOPLE that she and the Duchess of Sussex were among guests at the same dinner. The cooking and lifestyle icon said Markle had "just gotten back from the palace" and that she overheard the duchess discussing the trip. The gathering, described as an A‑list party, took place in California.
"I had dinner with Meghan Markle the other night. We were both guests at a dinner party in California. And she had just gotten back from the palace."
The palace reference appears to denote Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, where King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the Sussexes and their two children on July 10 for a brief, private visit. It was the first time Meghan Markle and the children, Archie and Lilibet, had travelled to the U.K. in about four years.
Context and cultural pushback
Stewart also offered a pointed take on Markle’s public pivot from acting to life as a royal and then to hosting lifestyle programming. Asked about the duchess stepping into the homemaking and cooking space, Stewart questioned whether that kind of transition "sort of follow[s]," signalling scepticism about moving from performer to monarchy-adjacent public figure and then to a lifestyle brand.
The comments add to an ongoing public conversation about the roles high-profile figures adopt after leaving or distancing themselves from traditional institutions, and how those choices are received by established cultural arbiters. Stewart’s observations carry weight because of her long-standing status in the lifestyle and media world; her remarks were relayed to PEOPLE and subsequently reported by other outlets.
- Event: A‑list dinner in California where Stewart and Markle were both present
- Royal visit referenced: Private meeting at Highgrove House with King Charles and Queen Camilla on July 10
- Family on the trip: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children Archie and Lilibet; the visit marked Markle and the children’s first UK trip in about four years
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of UK stop reported | July 10 |
| Location of private royal visit | Highgrove House, Gloucestershire |
| Reported setting where Markle discussed trip | A celebrity dinner in California |
Why it matters to audiences
The encounter underscores how moments that begin as private diplomatic or familial visits can quickly enter the celebrity sphere when public figures and media veterans cross paths. For Canadian readers who follow the British royal family, the Sussexes’ travel and activities continue to generate attention — both for their content and for the public responses they provoke.
Stewart’s comments also highlight the scrutiny former working actors face when they redefine their public personas after entering royal life or other public roles. Her sceptical framing about the logic of transitioning from acting to royal and then to lifestyle television speaks to wider questions about authenticity, branding and audience expectation.
For now, the account rests on Stewart’s recollection shared with PEOPLE; neither the duchess nor her representatives have issued a response in the report. The brief Highgrove meeting, however, remains a confirmed point of contact between the Sussex family and the monarch, and Stewart’s anecdote adds another layer to how that visit is being discussed in celebrity circles.
As this story continues to unfold in the entertainment press, it will be watched for any further comment from those involved and for signs of how public figures manage the intersection of private visits and public storytelling.
