During Coronation Weekend, Meghan Markle was spotted hiking

Meghan Markle chose to spend her weekend away from the suffocating coronation crowds and the media limelight, instead choosing to take a pleasant walk and take advantage of the temperate California climate.

The Duchess of Sussex was spotted hiking close to her home in Montecito without her husband Prince Harry, amid the rumour and headlines about her absence from King Charles III's coronation. She appeared to be in a cheerful mood.

In pictures acquired by TMZ, Meghan can be seen exercising with her close friends Heather Dorak and Markus Anderson on Sunday while Harry was at the coronation ceremony, after which he promptly left to head back to California.

With a smile on her face, Meghan hiked with her friends while wearing black leggings, a black athletic top, and a green jacket. She kept it understated in a Western hat and black sunglasses.

For a variety of reasons, including the fact that Saturday was the fourth birthday of her and Harry's son Archie, the actress, 41, opted to remain at the couple's house and skip any coronation festivities.

In fact, the announcement from Buckingham Palace last month, which confirmed that Harry would attend his father's coronation but that Meghan would forego the momentous occasion, expressly highlighted Archie's birthday. Lilibet, Meghan and Harry's 1-year-old daughter, is also theirs.

After the December publication of Harry and Meghan's Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and the January release of the Duke of Sussex's best-selling memoir, Spare, Meghan's absence also coincides with strain within the royal family.

Both the movie and the book were critical of Harry's family while also providing the newlyweds with personal information about the royals.