Meghan Markle attended a Los Angeles screening of the Girl Scouts documentary Cookie Queens on Tuesday evening, her first solo public appearance since travelling to Geneva in May, according to Hello! Magazine. Markle serves as an executive producer on the film, which had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in January, as reported by Deadline.

What caught the eye of photographers at the screening was her left hand. Hello! Magazine reported that Markle was not wearing her engagement ring — the cushion-cut diamond from Botswana flanked by two smaller stones from Princess Diana's personal collection, given to her by Prince Harry in 2017. She was still wearing her gold wedding band. The images distributed from the event are credited to Roadside Attractions via Getty Images.

This is not the first time the ring has been absent. Hello! Magazine noted that Markle was previously seen without it during a trip to Jordan earlier this year, again while still wearing her wedding band. Page Six reported a similar absence in August 2023. Markle has not publicly addressed her decision to leave the ring off, according to Hello! Magazine.

The ring itself has a documented history of change. Page Six reported in November 2017 that Prince Harry described the band as yellow gold and the main stone as sourced from Botswana. In June 2019, both Page Six and People.com reported that Markle had upgraded the ring by swapping the original yellow gold band for a thinner, diamond-set version.

At the Cookie Queens screening, Markle participated in a Q&A and referenced a perspective shared by her husband, Prince Harry, from his time as a British Army helicopter pilot, according to Hello! Magazine. The Duchess and Prince Harry had attended the film's Sundance premiere together in January, per Deadline.

Town & Country Magazine also covered the Los Angeles screening, confirming Markle's attendance at the special event. The documentary profiles Girl Scouts competing in the organisation's annual cookie sale — a longstanding American tradition.

Hello! Magazine's reporting describes Tuesday's event as a "solo appearance," meaning Markle attended without Prince Harry. The article does not state that the couple are spending time apart, and no household statement has been issued about the ring.