Doria Ragland spent her milestone 70th birthday on a quiet solo outing in California while her daughter’s family relocated across the Atlantic.
The social worker, who turned 70 last Wednesday, was photographed near her California home wearing a white t-shirt, pajama pants and her hair in a bun, carrying a bag of pet food during a walk outside, reports said.
Ragland’s low-key celebration came just days after Meghan Markle, 45, Prince Harry, 41, and their two children — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — completed their move back to the United Kingdom last week. The family had resided in a $14 million Montecito mansion since 2020, when they stepped back from duties as senior royals in the departure widely labeled “Megxit.”
Reports said last month that Ragland intends to remain in California rather than join her daughter’s household abroad. The grandmother has built an active life on the West Coast through her yoga community and is not prepared to leave behind her friends and established routines, according to the outlet. She has maintained a close bond with Archie and Lilibet throughout their early years.
The Sussexes’ departure from Montecito drew blunt reactions from those who lived nearby. One neighbor said last month, “Good riddance!” The same resident continued, “The town is exhausted by them, the entitlement and the never-ending drama.”
Another local source offered a different shade of relief to the outlet, noting that neighbors “couldn’t be more thrilled” with the couple’s decision to exit the wealthy enclave where they reportedly never fully integrated themselves into community life.
The family’s return to Harry’s home country after six years in the United States has also stirred unease in their reported next destination. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield exclusively said that the “chattering class” of the North Cotswolds, where Markle and Harry are believed to be house hunting, are “not overly excited” about the prospect.
“The Cotswolds can be incredibly welcoming to high-profile people because there’s an unwritten agreement: ‘You don’t make a spectacle of yourself, and neither will we,” Schofield explained.
She added, “There’s a sense of, ‘Please don’t bring the circus here.’ These people are used to celebrities. Harry and Meghan are different because wherever they go, the headlines tend to follow.”
Markle appeared to reference her family’s transition through her lifestyle brand, As Ever, which promoted its new Reserve Brut sparkling wine on Instagram Tuesday with a pointed caption: “A new chapter to celebrate.”
The Sussexes’ return to Britain marks a dramatic reversal of the 2020 relocation that saw them establish independent careers, launch charitable ventures and build a media portfolio including podcasts and a Netflix documentary series in the United States.
