EXCLUSIVE Meghan Markle’s birthday date night with Prince Harry! Smiling Duchess of Sussex celebrates turning 42 at trendy Montecito restaurant after couple’s pals blasted claims of ‘tensions’ in their marriage

Harry and Meghan enjoyed a date night out in Montecito to celebrate the Duchess’ birthday – a day after the couple made their first public appearance together in months. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen in good spirits, smiling and laughing, as they were pictured leaving the trendy Italian restaurant Tre Lune, a favorite among A listers including Kourtney Kardashian and Ellen DeGeneres.

It is the first time the couple have been seen in public together amid mounting speculation about their future in Hollywood and rumoured strains behind the scenes. Meghan, who turns 42 today, looked glamorous wearing a strapless column-style black and white Posse dress, priced at £188 ($239), paired with her beloved Cult Gaia bag and flat strappy black sandals. The Prince accompanied her wearing a linen blue shirt and white trousers on Wednesday night.

The pair entered the popular eatery, where musician Travis Barker was spotted earlier that night, and they were joined by their good friend Matt Cohen, husband of the Duchess of Sussex’s friend of many years Heather Dorak. Meals at the Italian restaurant range from $24 to $61. Italian-lovers can also choose from 24 different pasta and risotto meals, while an array of meat and fish dishes on offer, from salmon fillets $44 to filet mignon steak $65.

It is the Californian-based royals’ second public appearance within days, after weeks of not being seen together, showing the pair are determined to present a united front and combat swirling rumors about strains behind the scenes. Their public appearance came amid claims the Sussexes have been snubbed by Harry’s family for events marking the first anniversary of the Queen’s death. The California couple have not been invited to mourn Her Majesty in Britain, 24 hours before they launch the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf 24 hours later on September 9. A source told The Sun: ‘There hasn’t been any outreach to them.’

Photographs show the couple walking out of the restaurant front, before Meghan is seen pointing at something in the distance. The Duchess kept her jewellery simple for the outing, opting to go without any necklaces in order to allow her décolletage to remain on full display in the strapless dress design. She chose chunky gold hoop earrings, as well as a stack of bracelets on one wrist, to add a bit of sparkle, however. This included her favorite $5,427 Cartier Love bracelet and what appeared to be her £3,736 ($4,748) Jennifer Meyer Gold Mini Bezel Tennis Bracelet.

The pair have been faced with mounting speculation about their future in Hollywood, after their deal with audio giant Spotify was axed and one their planned Netflix shows was quietly dropped. Sources close to the couple insisted they were both ‘fine’ despite becomingly increasingly ‘fed up’ by the rumor mill, adding that the pair were determined to make their move to America a success.

Their celebratory outing comes after the couple appeared to combat their falling popularity and quash any negative rumors by appearing in a happy two-minute, 40 second clip released on Wednesday. They were seen surprising U.S. recipients of the first Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund (RTYPF) grants with phone calls to congratulate them. Their Archwell Foundation is a founding member of the initiative that will help fund 26 youth-led projects.

The Duke and Duchess have been plagued by a series of gossip-fueled claims since their last public appearance in May. The pair had been at an awards ceremony in New York but ended chaotically with opposing reports that they were chased by paparazzi through the city. One suggestion was that the couple had stepped back from joint projects and were instead focusing on solo ventures. The rumor came after Meghan was signed to power agency William Morris Endeavor, and Harry, 38, working on a Netflix series with a trip to Botswana.

The couple have since become increasingly irritated by the speculation swirling around them. One source told OK! Magazine: ‘The Sussexes’ marriage is fine,’ adding that unfounded online snipes had stemmed from Harry’s upcoming solo trip to Africa. ‘That’s a work trip. It’s not a sign of trouble.’ Similarly, an ‘insider’ told PageSix last month that the rumors were categorically ‘not true. It’s literally made up.’ Others close to the Californian-based royals said that their struggle to make a mark on Hollywood and have their new careers take off was simply a result of ‘growing pains.’

The pair signed multi-million-pound deals with both Spotify and Netflix after moving across the pond in 2020, but these since stagnated. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lucrative Spotify project was dramatically pulled last month after they produced one 12-episode podcast and a festive special over three years. The couple also reportedly did not produce enough content to receive the full pay-out from the reported £18million ($22.8million) deal they signed after stepping down as senior working royals.

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