As the Duchess of Sussex turns 45 this week, we reveal how she will be spending her big day – and what her next move might be

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the 2026 Fifteen Percent Pledge Fundraising Gala held at Paramount Studios © Variety via Getty Images

As the blows out her birthday candles tomorrow, surrounded by her family, she may well pause to reflect on her many blessings, as well as a year of ups and downs.

Meghan certainly has plenty to celebrate when she turns 45 on 4 August. She enjoys an idyllic lifestyle in California with her husband,, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, while her professional life has been given a boost by the news that her recent appearance as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia resulted in the show’s highest-ever ratings.

Fresh from a family holiday in the UK and Portugal, a sun-kissed Meghan stepped out in Los Angeles last week for a screening of Cookie Queens, a new documentary about Girl Scouts made by Archewell Productions, the production company founded by Meghan and Prince Harry.

Birthday plans

A friend tells HELLO! that the Duchess was planning to mark her birthday by enjoying “a chilled day surrounded by loved ones”. Once the celebrations are over, her focus is likely turn to the future as she and Harry continue to navigate their financially independent lives outside the royal fold.