The news broke on Friday: the Duchess of Sussex was taking a surprise trip to New York City, solo. It’s the second time she’s been back in the Big Apple this year: in February, her friends hosted a lavish baby shower for the duchess at the Mark Hotel.
But unlike that initial paparazzi-filled trip, this time the duchess flew much more under the radar. So what did she get up to? Here’s what we know.
After landing in New York, Meghan Markle turned to her favorite trick to beat the jet lag: yoga. Multiple reports say the duchess took part in a class at Modo Yoga in the West Village. Allegedly joining her was close friend (and now, collaborator) Misha Nonoo. A source told People: “There were lots of sweet, knowing smiles” among fellow class attendees. In October, she did yoga to acclimate herself to the local time zone during her royal tour of Australia.
On Saturday, it was the grand event: the US Open. She sat in Serena Williams’s box at Arthur Ashe Stadium, alongside the tennis star’s mother. In front of her was Williams’s husband, Alexis Ohanian. The duchess kept her ensemble casual, pairing a J.Crew denim dress with a sweater-blazer jacket. She attentively—and animatedly—watched the match, with Williams eventually conceding the final to Bianca Andreescu.
It also seems she made some time to visit her longtime makeup artist and friend, Daniel Martin, for his birthday. On Instagram, Martin posted a picture of cupcakes, with the caption: “Thanks to everyone for reaching out to me today and Meg, love you friend for surprising me on my special day.”
The duchess’s trip is thought to be a short one: after all, there’s much for her to prepare for this fall. In a few weeks, she will depart to South Africa with Prince Harry and baby Archie for a royal tour. According to the couple’s official Instagram, their engagements will be “focusing on community, grassroots leadership, women’s and girls’ rights, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and the environment.”
Originally Appeared on Vogue
