Meghan Markle steps out alone for second time as she and Harry 'live separate lives'

Meghan Markle's solo appearance marks the first time the royal has been spotted in nearly a month, with the appearance prompting some to believe she and Prince Harry 'live separate lives'

Meghan Markle has been spotted in public alone just a week after Prince Harry was seen isolated at a café near their Montecito home.

The pair are said to be living "separate lives," though sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex deny there is any trouble brewing between the two. The Duchess of Sussex was spotted visiting Girls Inc. in Greater Santa Barbara, California, on October 2. There to support a digital wellness platform called Social Media U, Meghan appeared without her husband Harry, who has been making independent trips elsewhere in the world.

Last week's visit was only made public yesterday (Friday, October 11), and Meghan had not been seen in public for some time prior to this outing. The royal had discussed social media at the non-profit around the time of the app's launch.

Meghan's appearance at the launch comes as royal experts previously alleged she and Prince Harry were "going their own ways". It is now believed the pair are "doing things separately now," according to royal expert Arthur Edwards. Speaking to The Sun, he said the duo were independent of one another in a professional environment. It comes as the pair have not been spotted together in weeks.

Fellow royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggests Meghan does not want to come back into the royal fold and that the separation of professional duties between Harry and Meghan was natural. She alleged: "Meghan is not popular. She doesn't want to come back and they are going their own ways, to some extent."

A source close to the Sussex duo has since suggested there is nothing wrong with the pair and that it is "normal" for the couple to be on independent business trips. They said: "It is normal for couples to not do everything together." The duo's enterprises are said to be running side-to-side rather than jointly although public visits involving the pair are still expected.

It comes as Prince Harry was seen "moping around" at a coffee shop near the California-based residency according to sources in the area. The pair were feared to be "drifting apart" by friends who had noted the couple's independent ventures. Harry is believed to be splitting his time between New York, London and Lesotho and rarely appears at their Montecito residence.

His solo appearances prompted an attendee of the WellChild Awards to comment: "He looked like the old Harry we knew and loved. He always came alive at events like this, but lately, he has seemed quite glum. He was in good form, full of energy and seemed quite happy to be on his own."