Harry and Meghan dine with Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been spotted leaving a Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Montecito with celebrity couple Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex smiled as they walked out of Sushi Bar Montecito in California last Friday with actress Diaz and her husband, musician Good Charlotte.

Harry and Meghan would also have been joined by Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband, TV producer Brad Falchuk — as well as Bumble chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd and her husband, Texas oil heir Michael Herd, according to Page six.

The Sussexes were seen outside the restaurant with Diaz, Madden and their bodyguard Dave Langdown – but there were no photos of Paltrow, Herd or their husbands.

It was the first time Harry and Meghan had been seen in public since the Duke flew back to London to attend the coronation of his father, King Charles III, on May 6.

Meghan, 41, wore a brown long-sleeved dress with matching open-toed sandals and a slick low ponytail, as well as a white bucket bag and gold earrings.

Harry, 38, followed his wife to the car around 7:00 p.m. that evening, wearing white jeans, a black T-shirt and sand-colored shoes.

The couple then turned the corner and left in an SUV, which was waiting for the couple outside the Montecito Inn on Coast Village Road.

Any friendship between the Sussexes and Diaz was previously unknown until the photos were released, with Harry denying dating Diaz earlier this year in his controversial biography Spare.

In 2011, claims were circulated that they were dating after meeting at an exclusive £3,500 a year gym in South Kensington, west London.

But Harry, writing about how his dating life has been referenced in books, said in Spare: ‘I seem to remember one describing my flirtation with Cameron Diaz. “Harry just didn’t see himself with her,” the author reported.

‘I couldn’t, because we had never met. I was never within 50 yards of Ms. Diaz, another proof that if you like pure b*****ks, royal biographies are for you.’

As for Paltrow, again there’s no previous indication that she’s friends with the Sussexes – although Meghan was reportedly inspired by her Goop brand when producing her lifestyle website The Tig, which shut down in 2017 when her relationship with Harry became discontinued. announced.

Their restaurant of choice to meet was Sushi Bar Montecito, which is described on the website as: ‘Chef Phillip Frankland Lee’s Omakase Restaurant serving a whimsy of his namesake dishes in 17 courses.

‘Behind the door is an intimate counter with 10 prized chairs where you sit right up to the chef’s cutting boards.

“Relax and enjoy as the chefs prepare a playful reverie to new wave nigiri and other delicacies from both land and sea in a free interpretation of the traditional sushi-counter experience where you can expect unexpected riffs on beloved standards.”

The sushi restaurant costs $165 per person if you eat from their omakase menu – and diners must pay a $25 deposit to secure a reservation.

The eatery has created an intimate dining experience for visitors – with just one mini-counter seating for ten people “to ensure a highly personalized experience.”

“Your time here is sure to pass in a blissful haze of convivial banter,” reads the Michelin Guide.

Their appearance comes after it emerged that the king raised a glass to toast Harry’s son Archie’s fourth birthday at Buckingham Palace as a touching tribute to the grandson he barely saw.

Despite the ongoing bitterness with Harry, who was on a plane back to the US within hours of his father’s crowning, the emotional Charles made it a point to mention both his absent grandchildren and those in attendance on his big day.

The poignant moment came during a private family gathering at the palace following his coronation at Westminster Abbey and his balcony appearance with Queen Camilla.

Reportedly, Harry was politely invited to join the family luncheon, but decided to return to California to celebrate Archie’s big day.