08 March 2024 , 06:53
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been enjoying some down time together before the former actress' SXSW appearance.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held a special date night on Thursday at SoHo House in Austin after the pair travelled from their Montecito home for Meghan's next public talk. Her appearance marks her participation in the Opening Day Keynote Panel on International Women's Day.
According to one onlooker the pair dined in a corner of the private members' club and appeared to be in great spirits.
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Meghan and Harry's dinner date in Austin comes weeks after their Canada trip (REX/Shutterstock)The source told PEOPLE: "Harry was very animated throughout the dinner. They were super low key and seemed happy to be around the upbeat vibes at the lively venue."
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The spot is said to have sweet links to the pair's past, with their very first date coming at a SoHo House venue in London in July 2016. Harry previously opened up on their first encounter in his memoir, Spare. He wrote in the book: ""Red-cheeked, puffing, sweaty, half an hour late, I ran into the restaurant, into the quiet room, and found her sitting at a small area on a low velvet sofa in front of a low coffee table."
He continued: "She was wearing a black sweater, jeans, heels. I knew nothing about clothes, but I knew she was chic. Then again, she could make anything look chic. I'd seen so many photos of her from fashion shoots and TV sets, all glam and glossy, but here she was, in the flesh, no frills, no filter… and even more beautiful. Heart-attack beautiful. I was trying to process this, struggling to understand what was happening to my circulatory and nervous systems, and as a result my brain couldn't handle any more data. Conversation, pleasantries, the Queen's English, all became a challenge."
The couple then reportedly agreed to meet at the same spot the following night.
Meghan was announced as a keynote speaker at the South By Southwest Festival earlier this week and will join the likes of Brooke Shields in giving a talk. The festival celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture and this year will take place in Austin, Texas.
The former Suits star's session will focus on "how the ubiquitous nature of social media is creating an often dangerous environment which has led to serious mental health issues for teenage girls in particular," according to the description given by the festival.