Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted leaving a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Montecito with celebrity couple Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden.
Last Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex smiled as they left Sushi Bar Montecito in California with actress Diaz and her Good Charlotte musician husband.
Harry and Meghan would also have been joined by Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband, TV producer Brad Falchuk – as well as Bumble chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd and her Texas oil heir husband Michael Herd, according to page 6.
The Sussexes were seen outside the restaurant with Diaz, Madden and their bodyguard Dave Langdown – but there were no photos of Paltrow, Herd or their spouses.
It was the first time Harry and Meghan had been seen in public since the Duke returned to London to attend the coronation of his father, King Charles III, on May 6.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (center) leave Sushi Bar Montecito in California last Friday with Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden (right) and bodyguard Dave Langdown (left)
Prince Harry and Meghan leave Sushi Bar Montecito last Friday with Cameron Diaz (right)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex smile as they exit Sushi Bar Montecito last Friday
The Sussexes are seen outside the restaurant with their bodyguard Dave Langdown last Friday
Meghan, 41, wore a long-sleeved brown dress, with matching peep-toe sandals and a slicked-back low ponytail – along with a white bucket bag and gold hoop earrings.
Harry, 38, followed his wife to the car around 7 p.m. that evening, dressed in casual attire including white jeans, a black t-shirt and sand-colored shoes.
The couple then reportedly turned the corner and left in an SUV, which was waiting for the couple outside the Montecito Inn on Coast Village Road.
Any friendship between the Sussexes and Diaz was previously unknown until the photos were released, with Harry denying claims he dated Diaz in his controversial Spare biography earlier this year.
In 2011 there were allegations they were dating after meeting at an exclusive £3,500 a year gym in South Kensington, west London.
But Harry, writing about how his love life was mentioned in the books, said in Spare: ‘I seem to remember one detailing my flirtation with Cameron Diaz. “Harry just couldn’t see himself with her,” the author reported.
– Indeed, I could not, since we had never met. I have never been within 50 yards of Ms. Diaz, further proof that if you love to read pure b*****ks, then royal biographies are for you.
As for Paltrow, again, there was no previous indication that she was friends with the Sussexes – although Meghan was reportedly inspired by her Goop brand when producing her lifestyle website The Tig, which has shut down opened in 2017 when her relationship with Harry was announced.
Cameron Diaz with her husband, Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden (pictured in 2016)
Harry and Meghan were also believed to have been joined by Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband, TV producer Brad Falchuk (pictured together in September 2019)
Bumble chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd and her husband, Texas oil heir Michael Herd (pictured in April 2018) were also reportedly at the Montecito sushi restaurant
Their chosen restaurant to meet was Sushi Bar Montecito, which is described on its website as: “Chef Phillip Frankland Lee’s Omakase restaurant serving a fancy of his namesake 17-course fare.
“Behind the door hides an intimate counter with 10 popular places where you can sit down to the chef’s cutting boards.
“Relax and enjoy as the chefs cook up a playful daydream about new wave nigiri and other land and sea delicacies in a loose take on the traditional sushi counter experience where you can sit back and relax. expect unexpected riffs on beloved standards.”
The sushi restaurant will set you back $165 per person if you eat from their omakase menu — and diners must pay a $25 deposit to secure a reservation.
The restaurant has created an intimate dining experience for visitors – with a single mini-counter seating ten people “to ensure a deeply personalized experience”.
“Your time here is meant to pass in a blissful haze of friendly chatter,” reads the Michelin guide.
Their appearance comes after it appeared the King raised a glass to toast Harry’s son Archie’s fourth birthday at Buckingham Palace in a touching tribute to the grandson he barely saw.
Despite the lingering acrimony with Harry, who was on a plane to the United States hours after his father’s coronation, an emotional Charles made a point of mentioning his absent grandchildren as well as those present on his big day.
The poignant moment came during a private family gathering at the palace after his coronation at Westminster Abbey and his appearance on the balcony with Queen Camilla.
It is understood that an invitation had been politely extended for Harry to join the family lunch, but he decided to return to California to celebrate Archie’s big day.
