Meghan Markle has been leaving Prince Harry at home to let her hair down with the girls, and it’s given her a whole new lease on life as she looks to cut loose and assert her independence more than ever moving into 2025, a source exclusively tells In Touch.
“She’s been having a great time getting back out and socializing more and her aim is to do a lot more of that next year,” the insider says. “The past couple of years she’s been pretty isolated at home.”
The couple have been largely shunned by the rest of the royal family for years, since abdicating most of their public duties as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Harry’s father, King Charles, and brother, the heir-apparent Prince William, both iced them out and have yet been unwilling to budge very much.
Without the in-laws to rely on across the pond, Meghan, 43, has been seeking more conventional celebrity, like she used to enjoy while an actress on the USA Network show Suits, as In Touch previously reported.
Some less-than-supportive royal watchers even recently got their wigs matted over a recent outing the daring Duchess took in Venice, California sans her red-haired husband. She attended a launch party for her friends’ hair care brand in a bustier top and a pair of wide-legged pants and danced with others in attendance in videos posted to Instagram.
“No doubt part of the issue was all the gossip about her and Harry, facing that on a night out was a struggle,” the source says, “But she’s found her confidence again and has a good group of friends that support her and stand by her and are a bit of a shield for her at these Hollywood events.”
Meghan has recruited a who’s who of A-list girlfriends. A different source told Life & Style, “She’s surrounded herself with a very elite group of women, the majority of them have endless bank accounts and only want the best of the best and they’re all telling Meghan she should look, and feel, like the star she is.”
In the past, despite her desire for independence, the first insider says, “there was also the kid factor,” keeping her tied down to the role of mother and wife. “She loves being a mother and adores her time with the kids, but she’s got an identity that’s more than just being a mom. Now that they’re a little older she feels way more comfortable going out and leaving them, they can understand that she’s coming back,” the insider adds.
For his part, “Harry has no issue with her getting out more often,” as he jet sets to keep up with his own various philanthropic endeavors, including The Invictus Games, which recently required him to show up in New York City to film a promo with Jelly Roll.
In fact, the prince “totally encourages it because it does do wonders for her mood. Nine times out of ten he doesn’t want to go, he’s over all the flashy Hollywood events, he’s more than happy for her to go without him.”
