Meghan Markle Spotted Hiking Without Prince Harry During Coronation Weekend

The Duchess of Sussex enjoyed some nice California weather amid King Charles III's royal festivities.

Meghan Markle spent her weekend away from the crushing coronation crowds and media spotlight, instead opting to enjoy the temperate California climate and a nice hike.

Amid the chatter and headlines regarding her absence from King Charles III's coronation, the Duchess of Sussex was spotted hiking near her home in Montecito, sans husband Prince Harry -- and appeared to be in a jovial mood.

While Harry was in attendance at the coronation ceremony -- after which he quickly left to return home to California -- Meghan spent her Sunday getting some exercise with her close friends, Heather Dorak and Markus Anderson, as seen in photos obtained by TMZ.

Meghan was all smiles as she hiked with her pals and rocked black leggings and a matching black athleticwear top, under a green jacket. She went low-key in a Western hat, dark shades, and a Maya Brenner x Abigail Spencer necklace.

The 41-year-old actress chose to stay behind at the couple's home and forego any coronation festivities for a number of reasons -- first and foremost seems to be the fact that Saturday happened to be her and Harry's son, Archie's, fourth birthday.

In fact, Archie's birthday was specifically mentioned in the announcement from Buckingham Palace last month, confirming that Harry would be attending his father's coronation but that Meghan would be skipping the historic event. Meghan and Harry also share a 1-year-old daughter, Lilibet.

Meghan's absence also comes amid tension within the royal family after the December release of Harry and Meghan's Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and the Duke of Sussex's bestselling memoir, Spare, which came out in January.

Both the doc and the book were critical of Harry's family and also shared intimate details about the royals from the couple's perspective.

For more on the historic coronation, check out the video below.

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