MEGHAN Markle has made a surprise appearance without Prince Harry in Los Angeles – amid speculation the couple live “separate lives” and are “drifting apart”.

The Duchess of Sussex wore a plunging red Carolina Herrera gown to a LA Children’s Hospital gala last night.

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Meghan Markle at an LA bash last nightCredit: The Mega Agency

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She was seen greeting young fansCredit: Rex

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The duchess was all smiles – but Harry was not at her sideCredit: Getty

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Meghan wore a red Carolina Herrera gownCredit: The Mega Agency

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She previously wore the gown at a New York gala with Harry in 2021Credit: Getty

Meghan, 43, previously wore the gown at a gala for veterans with Harry in New York in 2021.

At the bash last night Meghan was seen greeting young fans and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Demi Lovato and Kaley Cuoco.

It comes after royal experts told The Sun Meghan and Harry are “going their own ways” and increasingly live “separate lives”.

Speaking on our first ever Royal Exclusive Live show, Arthur Edwards and Jennie Bond lifted the lid on the couple’s recent time apart.

Sun legend Arthur revealed the pair are “doing things separately now” after failing to be spotted together in three weeks.

Veteran royal correspondent Jennie said: “Meghan is not popular. She doesn’t want to come back and they are going their own ways, to some extent”.

The pair spoke on our first Royal Exclusive Live show, which you can watch in the player above and on our YouTube channel.

The event was hosted last night in front of a live audience of more than 100 special guests.

Mr Edwards said: “I don’t think Meghan can come here much. I don’t think people think too much of her.

“I think she’s struggling in popularity in the UK and I think they seem to be doing things separately now.

“She’s got her programme and he’s got his. He comes into Britain now with no fuss.

“He’s come for the Invictus Games, in and out with no fuss, he came for his uncle’s funeral, no fuss.”

Jennie added: said: “The point is he doesn’t want to come back into the Royal Family, I think.

“He regarded it as a trap. He still thinks his father and his brother are trapped and he’s finding his own way.

“All credit to him. I think Meghan has her own independent style and way of life.

“Yes, it’s not in tune with the people in the UK. She’s not popular and I don’t think she wants to come back.

“Therefore they are going their own ways, to an extent. But I hope and believe that Harry is very happy in his life.”

‘MOPING AROUND’

This comes after it was revealed Harry spent the night of his milestone 40th birthday without Meghan as rumours continue to swirl.

The duke went on a hiking trip with pals to celebrate his big day – and failed to mention his wife, 43, in his birthday thanks message.

Although sources close to the couple insist it was Meghan who organised the lads’ trip, experts warned it could be a key sign things are not so rosy.

Their separate plans, followed by Harry’s solo trips across the past few weeks, has sparked speculation surrounding their relationship.

It was also reported Meghan ditched a charity event at the last minute in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband because she was “sick”.

And, sources claim, for periods earlier this year, she was rarely staying at their luxury Montecito pad.

Meanwhile, Harry was said to be “moping around” on his own at a local cafe.

Previous claims last year that Meghan and Harry spent extended spells apart were denied by those close to the couple.

It was said that, like any other couple, they have disagreements but remained strong.

TRIPPING UP

It comes as Harry beamed from ear to ear in photos taken on his latest trip to his beloved Africa.

But missing from the snaps of the duke with children and long-time friends at his charity Sentebale in Lesotho was his wife.

The Duchess of Sussex ­previously accompanied him to the continent, including in May this year.

In fact the couple have travelled together on two major overseas engagements this year.

But this prompted a source close to Harry and Meghan to address the speculation.

The Sussexes’ confidante insisted: “It is normal for couples to not do everything together.”

The duke attended at a string of events in New York unaccompanied by his wife.

He appeared on his own at an event for the Halo Trust – a landmine charity which was close to Di’s heart.

Harry was also pictured without Meg during a high-level dinner organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Big Apple on Sunday.

Their separate appearances also included his surprise TV stint and tour of a haunted maze on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

And the dad-of-two was snapped outside and spent an hour inside a tattoo shop in Manhattan.

On Monday he jetted to the UK capital on his lonesome and did not see his father the King, or have any contact with his brother, Prince William.

Instead his time was taken up by honouring seriously ill youngsters at the WellChild Awards in London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel.

One of those attending said: “He looked like the old Harry we knew and loved.

“He always came alive at events like this, but lately he has seemed quite glum.

“He was on good form, full of energy and seemed quite happy to be on his own.”

WILTING ORCHARD

Meanwhile, Meghan’s personal projects have also swirled in drama, from her promise of a cooking show about friendship to her brand American Orchard Riviera.

The lifestyle company suffered a fresh blow earlier this month.

Since announcing the project, the former Suits actress is yet to roll out anything other than jams and dog biscuits – products that have only been gifted to her A-lister pals so far.

Meghan has also faced multiple hurdles in her launch, including ‘struggling’ to secure a CEO, her team filling in the official forms incorrectly, and failing to send enough cash.

These issues came in addition to a bitter dispute over exclusive rights to the name American Riviera Orchard.

However, as a couple, the Duke and Duchess have put on a united front amid the roll out of their latest charity initiative – The Parents Network.

It aims to support families who have lost their children to online harm.

Prince Harry’s tattoo shop visit without Meghan is major hint couple could have separate plans for future, warns expert

By Summer Raemason

PRINCE Harry’s tattoo shop visit and upcoming solo trip without Meghan is a major hint the couple could have separate future plans, claimed an expert.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, was spotted at a tattoo parlour in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and stayed for over an hour yesterday.

It was also revealed Harry will be jetting to Lesotho and South Africa early next month without Meghan Markle.

This comes after the duke attended at a string of events in New York unaccompanied by his wife, who stayed behind in Montecito, California.

Their separate appearances, including Harry’s surprise TV stint and tour of a haunted maze on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, has sparked rampant speculation regarding their future together.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers hailed the upcoming Lesotho and South Africa trips.

He told The Sun: “I rather commend what he’s doing with this, because this is more outgoing.

“It’s like when he does things with the Invictus Games and things like that.

“But there seems to be a pattern forming, even in these last few days, that he is going out on his own and doing things.”

The expert suggested there could be multiple reasons for the divide.

“One could be that, you know. He does indeed wish to establish himself more as the old Harry,” he said.

“It could be quite simply that Meghan Markle has responsibilities with her young children, and therefore feels she has to stay at home with them.

But he added: “There is a separation of, you know, of their different engagements, and that he’s going to be going more solo, in which case watch this space.”

Meghan and Harry have put on a largely inseparable front since quitting the UK and moving to the States in 2020.

But Mr Vickers warned the duke may have grown tired of Meg’s presence – and the negativity it attracts.

“It always seems to me that when she’s around she’s dictating the narrative, and that he kind of is very compliant and just goes along,” he said.

“A lot of the things that he says publicly I have always suspected are dictated by her. So I do wonder a little bit whether he isn’t trying to establish himself more in his own right.”

However, the expert hinted Meghan could still be behind everything.

He said: “It could be that she commends this idea because it gives him more of a a profile and sort of ups his game, and therefore, when they go out together in public, they’re more valuable.”

On the future of Harry and Meghan’s relationship, Mr Vickers added “personally think it’s quite likely to not end too well for [Harry]”.

Regarding rumours swirling their marriage, the expert suggested they may stay together – to preserve their image.

“It is possible that they need to keep stay together to keep their brand,” he said.