Meghan Markle Goes Hiking After Skipping King Charles' Coronation to 'Protect Her Peace'

Meghan Markle spent her weekend enjoying the California mountains instead of joining her husband at King Charles III's coronation.

The Duchess of Sussex was spotted hiking on Sunday morning, May 7, one day after Charles' coronation — which Prince Harry was in attendance for. Enjoying some adult time with pals Markus Anderson and Heather Dorak, it seems Meghan left her and Harry's two kids: Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 1, back at their $15 million Montecito mansion.

Meghan stepped out in a navy blue tank top, black leggings and brown hiking boots, as seen in photos obtained by a news outlet. She had a forest green jacket wrapped around her waist and a Panama hat on her head to protect her from the California sunshine.

Meanwhile, Meghan's husband was hundreds of miles away at his father's coronation, which took place on the day of his eldest's birthday, Saturday, May 6.

Whispers of whether both Harry and Meghan would be in attendance had been circulating for months amid the couple's fractured relationship with the royal family. Mere weeks before the ceremony, Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming the red-headed prince would be attending the ceremony — sans his wife.

"The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," the April statement read in part.

Though one insider pointed out, “There was no way that Meghan was going to miss her son’s birthday,” royal biographer Omid Scobie claimed earlier this month that the Suits alum wasn't heading over the pond in an attempt to "protect her peace."

“She is aware just how much of the spotlight goes on her when she sets even a foot near the story," he pointed out during an interview on ITV's This Morning. “It’s portrayed as intentional. Should she come over and just stand next to her husband, the commentary and the narrative of the day would have been very different.”

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Though Meghan has been on the receiving end of backlash ever since first being linked to Harry ahead of their May 2018 wedding, things went from bad to worse when the royal-turned-Hollywood couple announced their decision to step back from their senior royal duties in 2020.

Over the past two years, Harry and Meghan have aired out their dirty laundry with members of the royal family as they documented their side of life behind palace walls. From recalling how The Firm failed to help Meghan while she was dealing with mental health struggles to claiming Harry and Prince William once got into a physical altercation, the duo hasn't minced words with their wild revelations.

Page Six obtained photos of Meghan hiking and spoke to the source.