Meghan Markle sips cocktails and beams for selfies in unseen photos shared by her Montecito BFFs for her 44th birthday - as Duchess herself shares rare personal messages on social media
The Duchess of Sussex yesterday celebrated her 44th birthday - and several of her closest friends from her 'Montecito moms' circle and her Suits days were quick to share their good wishes.
Close pals including Meghan's Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, Kelly McKee Zajfen, Tracy Robbins, Jamie Kern Lima all took to Instagram on Monday to share gushing compliments, calling Meghan 'pure magic' and describing her as 'like sunshine in a bottle'.
And in a rare move from the Duchess, she commented on their posts in a mutual display of affection.
Meghan's long-time pal Abigail Spencer was the first to share a tribute to the Duchess, calling her 'Champagne in human form' and a 'sister in this life and beyond'.
As Abigail was also celebrating her birthday yesterday, Meghan fired back: 'Thank you, sweet Abs! Right back at you, and happy birthday to YOU! 44/4' - her comment referring to them both turning 44 on the fourth day of the month.
Kelly McKee Zajfen, a former model and co-founder of Alliance of Moms, has been friends with the Duchess for many years after first meeting with the Duchess's ex-husband, Trevor Engelson.
She shared an unseen black-and-white photograph of herself and the mother-of-two laughing together, while standing beside a fountain.
In the photo, Meghan was wearing a stylish chain print blend dress from Veronica Beard, retailing at $635.
Kelly wrote: 'Happy Birthday to you sweet M!!
'You're pure magic!! A force of fun, light, and so much love. Thank you for being the kind of friend who makes everything better (and way more fun). Here's to the best trip around the ☀️ yet!
'(This captures us perfectly! ✨✨ ) Love you so very much!'
Meghan replied: 'Thank you!', adding a heart, cake and champagne emoji.
The Duchess also featured in several new photos shared by her close pal Tracy Robbins, who lives in Montecito and is married to Paramount boss Brian - with the couple occasionally going on double dates with Meghan and Prince Harry.
Tracy showed a very light-hearted and laidback side to Meghan, as they were seen giggling while enjoying cocktails together.
In one candid snap, Meghan couldn't contain her laughter as some of the foam from her cocktail landed on her nose.
Tracy showed a very light-hearted and laidback side to Meghan, as they were seen giggling while enjoying cocktails together
'Happy birthday my dear @meghan Oh how I can laugh and dance with you like no other. You are sunshine in a bottle!' Tracy gushed.
'Thank you for always making time to be such a loving and connected friend no matter what's going on in your life. You dance through this life with so much grace, light and love!'
Referring to her husband Prince Harry, and children Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, she added: 'I hope your wee posse of 3 are smothering you with hugs and kisses today my dear! Happiest of birthdays M!'
Keeping it simple, Meghan commented a selection of pink and red heart emojis.
Tracy also shared a photo of Meghan and her husband Brian backstage at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour - which they attended together in May at the SoFi stadium in California.
She added: 'Happy birthday M! Brian and I adore you!'
Jamie Kern Lima, who hosted Meghan on her podcast earlier this year, shared on her story: 'Happy Birthday @meghan thank you for being love, light and such a great friend to everyone who has the gift of truly knowing you!!!'
Seconds later, she shared another image, holding a rainbow fruit platter they had made behind the scenes of the podcast: 'Happy Birthday @meghan Wonder had so much fun making this for you! Can't wait to see what we learn on Season 2 of your show! Thank you for being love, light and such a generous friend to everyone you meet!'
Meghan's make-up artist pal Daniel Martin, who helped get the Duchess ready for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, meanwhile shared a sweet snap of Meghan and her beagle Mia in the garden of her Montecito mansion, simply writing 'HBD sis!'
Rounding off the tributes was actress Kerry Washington, who has been friends with Meghan since 2013, and said: 'To this beautiful (inside and out) @meghan Love you so much!'
Meghan's As Ever brand has posted a gushing birthday tribute as the entrepreneur turns 44 years old.
The Duchess' own lifestyle company took to Instagram with a black and white snapshot of the mom-of-two wearing a sundress and hat as she beamed into the distance.
The caption enthused about Meghan and her role leading the company.
'Celebrating the woman behind it all,' it read.
'She pours her heart, vision and magic touch into every detail, and today, we raise a glass to her! Happy birthday to our founder.'
In her gushing birthday message, Abigail wished Meghan a happy birthday, and credited the Duchess with 'saving' her life
Meghan replied with a rare social media comment, writing: 'Thank you, sweet Abs! Right back at you, and happy birthday to YOU! 44/4'
It was then re-shared on As Ever's Instagram Story alongside two champagne flutes clinking together in celebration.
On Sunday, the eve of her 44th birthday, Meghan took to social media to share a teaser for her lifestyle brand As ever.
The Duchess of Sussex shared a video of herself carrying a wicker basket filled with flowers and bottles of As Ever Napa Valley rosé laid in white linen.
While Meghan's face did not feature in the video, it showed her wearing a short white dress as she frolicked in the grass, thought to be at her Montecito estate near Santa Barbara, California.
She showed off her stack of rings on her left ring finger, including her engagement ring, wedding ring and an infinity ring, estimated to be worth around £210,000.
She also wore a gold Cartier Love Bracelet, which costs up to £7,050, and a gold Cartier Tank Watch that once belonged to Princess Diana, both of which she regularly wears.
The clip later showed a view of Meghan's swinging feet as she sits atop a stone garden wall, clad in £720 tan-coloured Hermes Santorini sandals.
The words 'Coming soon...' appeared over the video to tease the launch of her new 2024 Napa Valley Rosé.
Shared on the official As Ever Instagram page last night, the caption read: 'Goodness in a glass. Right around the corner...Cheers to August!'
Meghan's latest post comes after she announced another product coming to her As Ever line - although some of her customers were baffled as to what was actually new.
The Duchess launched her lifestyle brand As ever earlier this year, releasing the first products in April, which included a range of teas, a raspberry spread, and a limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb, amongst other things.
She followed it up with an apricot spread and another honey, and in July, she expanded into the world of alcohol when she dropped her own wine - the 2023 Napa Valley Rosé.
Each release has been met with fierce excitement from her fans, and every product has sold out pretty quickly.
Now, the Duchess of Sussex 's brand has announced its newest product... but it might not garner the same amount of enthusiasm since it's not very different from her last item.
The company revealed on Wednesday that following the buzz surrounding the 2023 Napa Valley Rosé, it will be launching another wine, with a slight tweak - calling it the 2024 Napa Valley Rosé.
And it vowed that it will pretty much taste the same as As Ever's first wine.
'It marries the same harmony of notes from our first blend and creates an elegant medley of delicate yet memorable flavor,' reads a press release.
'You'll want to clink glasses with friends as the sun sets, toasting to a summer of joy.
'Barefoot or in sandals, dressed up or dressed down, this rosé may become your favorite accessory for alfresco lunches and dinners at dusk.'
Meghan described her new bottles as 'goodness in a glass'
Meghan Markle tried to stir up excitement over her new product announcement but it might be hard for customers to spot what's new with this one
In the release, As Ever listed some of the positive feedback customers had given the company over its first rosé, which included comments like, '10 out of 10,' 'perfect,' and 'elevated flavor'.
'This affirmed all of the love, time and effort our team, and our founder, poured into curating this blend to evoke the sun drenched spirit of Napa Valley, and the breathtaking tenor of the California Coast,' As Ever added.
'Thank you for filling our cup. Now it's time for us to fill your glass! We are pleased to share that our 2024 Napa Valley Rosé will be available for purchase next week.'
The brand also posted to Instagram with a series of images showing the new wine resting in beach sand.
It was uploaded alongside a caption that read: 'Oh, how we love seeing the world through rose colored glasses. Rosé colored glasses? Perhaps even better.
'Our new vintage of As Ever's beloved rosé is available next week.
The 2023 Napa Valley Rosé is described on the bottle as a 'delicately balanced rosé with soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish'
The Daily Mail FEMAIL team tried the rosé and while the wine was smooth, we couldn't easily detect the notes of stone fruit. In fact, it tasted quite bland, and almost water-y
'Stay tuned for more details and timing.'
As Ever's first wine went on sale on July 1 and sold out within the hour.
Customers were able to purchase three bottles for $90, six bottles for $159, and 12 bottles for $300.
Last month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that the alcoholic beverage is made by Fairwinds Estate, a California winery that creates bespoke wines for celebrities.
The 2023 Napa Valley Rosé is described on the bottle as a 'delicately balanced rosé with soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish.'
It has a 14.5 percent alcohol by volume for the 750ML bottle.
The Daily Mail FEMAIL team tried the rosé and while the wine was smooth, we couldn't easily detect the notes of stone fruit. In fact, it tasted quite bland, and almost water-y.
In addition, the rosé had some acidic notes, leaving a somewhat uncomfortable sensation at the back of our throats after swallowing.
In the end, the verdict was the wine lacked flavor and tasted affordable and ordinary. It wasn't terrible - but it certainly wasn't great.
The FEMAIL team also reviewed her initial set of products , and found that Meghan's raspberry spread was too thin, too sweet, and very runny
Her hibiscus tea was extremely bitter with heavy notes of floral, with one taste tester comparing it to 'drinking lip balm'
We felt the rosé just didn't taste like you bought it at a fancy vineyard, where it's supposed to be made, but rather, like a wine you would be served at a work happy hour.
The FEMAIL team also reviewed her initial set of products, and found that Meghan's raspberry spread was too thin, too sweet, and very runny.
Her hibiscus tea was extremely bitter with heavy notes of floral, with one taste tester comparing it to 'drinking lip balm.'
'It tasted like dirty dishwater,' another FEMAIL writer shared.
Some of us couldn't even bear to swallow it, as one person even spat it back into the cup.
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