Meghan Markle has taken a step back from public life in 2024, focusing on new business ventures like a podcast and a lifestyle brand.

Meghan Markle — once a fixture in newpapers across the world — appears to have gone to ground in 2024. The Duchess of Sussex has only made a scant handful of public appearances in recent months while Prince Harry travelled solo to various countries in a bid to recreate his public image.

The Suits alum was seen partying with friends during a launch event for Highbrow Hippie last week — her first major public appearance since attending the biennial Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala in early October.

Both appearances have been made without Prince Harry and took place even as the Duke pursued efforts to ‘establish himself as a serious figure on the global stage’.

“The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals — not just as a couple. The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track,” a Royal insider told People magazine earlier this year.

2024 began on an entrepreneurial note for Markle with a series of commercial ventures lined up for the coming months. She signed a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media in February and announced the formation of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard in March. Netflix announced in April that the Duchess was set to make a series celebrating “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship” — with filming reportedly concluding around June. Archewell Productions is working with the streaming platform to produce a second show on polo.

Markle has also made a series of investments in recent months including the August revelation about handbag brand Cesta Collective. She is also one of the lead investors for the newly launched Haircare and Wellness range by Highbrow Hippie — cofounded by her close friend Kadi Lee.

But her public appearances have been few and far between this year — tapering off almost completely after the initial months. Markle has made a few local appearances in recent months and appears to be venturing out solo with increasing frequency. She was seen skiing at an Utah resort with friends in March before joining the opening keynote panel at the SXSW festival to celebrate International Women’s Day. Days later came the debut event of American Riviera Orchard.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex headed to Canada in February to promote the upcoming Invictus Games and later made international trips to Nigeria and Colombia. They also made joint appearances at a few events — being photographed leaving Tyler Perry’s birthday party in September — and appeared together for a Remembrance Day video

In the past six months the Duchess has done only one interview — a brief appearance with Prince Harry for the launch of Archewell Foundation Parents Network.