Meghan Markle wore one of her most memorable looks to celebrate her 44th birthday. The Duchess of Sussex stepped out in Beverly Hills for dinner at Funke, one of Los Angeles's most-talked-about Italian restaurants, specialising in artisanal pasta.
The mother-of-two was seen blowing out the candles on a lavish, flower-adorned birthday cake while wearing a £4,000 Valentino shift dress.
The ivory mini, which features a crew neckline, capped sleeves and sparkling diamante flowers along the hem and shoulders, was previously worn by the Duchess at the Global Citizen Live concert in New York back in 2021.
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Meghan Markle rewears iconic £4,000 dress from royal wardrobe to eat pasta in Beverly Hills
|GETTY / INSTAGRAM VIA @MEGHAN
It was one of the first major engagements that Prince Harry and Meghan carried out after stepping down as working royals the year before.
At the time, she styled the dress with a boho ponytail and black heels. This time, she wore her brunette hair loose and straight.
"Meghan's birthday look exudes her classic style of effortless California chic," fashion stylist Angela Kyte told Hello!.
"Her choice of an ivory-white Valentino mini shift dress for her birthday gives impact and elegance whilst not straying into 'try hard' territory.
Meghan Markle was presented with a lavish cake decorated with flowers
|INSTAGRAM / @MEGHAN
"The clean, structured silhouette nods to 1960s mod aesthetics, yet it still feels contemporary and is proof that minimalism and embellishment can live in harmony."
Kyte added that when Meghan first wore the dress, its “silk-floral appliqués and subtle sequins lent dimension and an understated glamour… without overshadowing the message-focused nature of the event.”
She continued: “The round neckline and short sleeves give a crisp framing to the dress, while the shorter hem feels youthful and relaxed, perfect for celebrating the Duchess's 44th birthday.”
The Duchess of Sussex chose Funke for her birthday celebration, an upscale Italian eatery known for its regional pasta and wood-fired dishes.
The menu at Funke shows the prices for a range of pizzas and pasta
|FUNKE
The Beverly Hills spot, helmed by celebrated chef Evan Funke, boasts a menu rooted in traditional Italian recipes with premium Californian ingredients.
Some of the restaurant’s most luxurious dishes include the Branzino alla brace, a Mediterranean seabass grilled over embers and served with a salad of raw carrots, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil, priced at $92 (£72).
For meat lovers, there’s the Costata alla Fiorentina, a 60-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye, listed at market price.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pictured at Global Citizen Live in 2021
|GETTY
Other notable mains include the Tagliata di Manzo for $77 (£60), a sliced prime ribeye cap served with potato fritte, rocket, and fennel, and the Scotattina di Agnello for $60 (£47), and a New Zealand lamb chop dish served with green garlic and chickpeas.
Starters such as Carciofi alla Giudea (crispy Roman-Jewish-style artichokes) come in at $34 (£26), while hand-crafted pastas like Strangulet with basil and ricotta salata are priced at $30 (£23).
For fans of pizza, the Boscaiola costs $38 (£30) is a stand-out choice. It is topped with wild mushrooms and sausage.