Meghan Markle often sneaks out of her royal residence and visits a couple of favorite places while wearing a disguise, The Express is reporting.
One of the many downsides to being a member of the British royal family is that getting out of the house is risky – call it living in a “gilded cage,” if you will. You could be mobbed by autograph-seekers or selfie-takers, or you could possibly run into someone who means you harm.
But that doesn’t mean the Duchess of Sussex is content to hole up in Kensington Palace except when she’s out on official royal duties. An anonymous source close to the family says that Meghan often sneaks out of the palace and into London, but to do so she wears a “disguise.”
Where Does She Go?
Like a lot of women, Meghan’s all about fitness. And while she could doubtless hire the best personal trainer in England to come and train her privately at home. But that would make for a lonely existence, and the duchess reportedly prefers the camaraderie of working out with other fitness enthusiasts. That’s why, as the source claims, she sneaks into town for Pilates.
Of course, it’s not known which gym she goes to, and if that information were made public, the paparazzi would all be there and she’d have to find a different one.
These are the strict rules that Meghan Markle has to follow before she can go to the loo during dinner https://t.co/H4kEZwhEmh
— The Sun (@TheSun) September 17, 2018
Similarly, rather than relying on palace aestheticians, she prefers to go out into town to get her hair done – and of course, that’s another secret.
And lastly, she has a favorite place in London to go shopping, and it’s a place that likely strikes a chord with her American roots: a palace insider says the duchess loves shopping at Whole Foods – and of course, now that she’s married into royalty she can afford to shop there. Google Maps tells us there’s a Whole Foods location just a few blocks from Kensington Palace.
How Does She Keep Her Anonymity?
The source says it’s relatively simple.
“When she does venture out to Pilates or to get her hair done, she normally goes incognito under a baseball cap… That way she can quickly sneak in and out without anyone noticing it’s her.”
Of course, as soon as she opens her mouth, her American accent is going to betray her. Hopefully, she relies on her acting training and pulls out her best Mayfair accent whenever she’s in disguise and is in a situation where she needs to speak.
Not that her disguise always works. CBS journalist Lisa Petrillo was recently out & about near Kensington Palace when she spotted a woman walking her dog, dressed in a ball cap, and looking for all the world like Meghan Markle.
So incredibly enough, walking by @kensingtonroyal -we spotted this beautiful, woman with a familiar air”outside the entrance to the private residence where Harry& Meghan live . MEGHAN!? her dog was doing his business. She couldn’t have been sweeter. #princessespickuppooptoo pic.twitter.com/G0SkQelmPE
— Lisa Petrillo (@LisaPetrillo) September 12, 2018
Unfortunately for the duchess, her calendar recently became considerably busier with royal engagements, so it’s not like she’s going to have a lot of time to duck over to Whole Foods any time soon.