Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Surprise New York Outing with Ed Sheeran Sparks Buzz — What Really Happened Inside Soho House

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry seemingly stepped out in New York City with a longtime pal: Ed Sheeran!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the British singer, were spotted leaving Soho House on Sunday, Oct. 12. Meghan, 44, wore a strapless dress for the occasion with her hair pulled back into a low bun, while Harry, 41, sported a suit sans tie. Meanwhile, Sheeran, 34, was photographed dressed down in a black t-shirt.

The outing marked a return to the members-only restaurant for the couple. On Friday, Harry and Meghan had lunch with Serena Williams at the hot spot.

Soho House has sentimental meaning for Prince Harry and Meghan, as they had their first date at the London location in July 2016. The following day, they met up again at the members’ club for a second date.

Harry and Sheeran have a shared history, including appearing together in a lighthearted video for World Mental Health Day in 2019 through the Royal Foundation’s “Heads Together” campaign, encouraging people to check in on friends and talk openly about mental health. The video also included the pair joking about their shared feature of red hair.

They crossed paths again in 2021 at a private garden party with the winners of the WellChild Awards, where they swapped stories about fatherhood.

Harry and Meghan spent the weekend in the Big Apple after a string of official appearances, including being honored at Project Healthy Minds’ annual World Mental Health Day Gala on Oct. 9.

The couple received the Humanitarians of the Year Award for their “commitment to mental health support and building a safer, more equitable digital world for today’s youth and families,” as co-founders of their Archwell Foundation.

In a statement last month, Harry and Meghan said of the honor, “Working with families and young people to prioritize safety online has been some of the most meaningful work of our lives. As parents ourselves, we have been moved to action by the power of their stories and are honored to support them. We’re proud to be long-time partners of Project Healthy Minds as we work together to shine a light on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

On Friday, the couple attended Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival alongside fellow activists like Deepak Chopra, M.D., Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman, bestselling author Jonathan Haidt, TV icon Katie Couric, parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy, parent activists and more.

At the festival, the couple revisited The Lost Screen Memorial, which they helped introduce during their April visit to NYC. The memorial is made up of 50 smartphones, each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short, stemming from the harmful effects of social media.

“No matter how polarized the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe,” Meghan told reporters at the event. “All of our children should be safe, and I think tonight, all of these stories solidify that.”

It was at the World Mental Health Day Festival two years ago that Harry and Meghan began their own important work with Healthy Minds. Through Archwell, they created the Parents’ Network for families and caregivers who have experienced the loss of a child due to online harm or bullying. This transformative global support community now spans the U.S., Canada and the U.K.