Meghan Markle’s closest confidant Jessica Mulroney is seen in Toronto

The best friend who helped ‘shape’ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s plans to ‘quit’ as senior royals has broken cover for the first time since the couple’s announcement sent shockwaves across continents.

Celebrity stylist Jessica Mulroney, 39, is one of the Duchess of Sussex’s closest confidantes and is known to have spent time with Meghan and Harry, 35, across Christmas as they drew up their plans from their luxury bolt-hole on the west coast of Canada.

It had been suggested that Mulroney stayed on at Vancouver Island to help look after eight-month-old baby Archie while Meghan, 38, made her fleeting trip to the UK to deliver the bombshell news alongside her husband.

In fact these exclusive pictures and video obtained by DailyMail.com on the eve of the Royal family’s ‘crisis summit,’ reveal that Mulroney is not at her friend’s side but 2,700 miles away. 

She is back at the Toronto home that she shares with husband, Ben, 43 – son of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney – and their three children.

The beleaguered Duchess’s longtime confidante did not comment on the furor that has raged since Meghan and Harry’s shock announcement, when DailyMail.com caught up with her running errands, Sunday afternoon. 

Mulroney, 39, is one of the Duchess of Sussex’s closest confidantes and is known to have spent time with Meghan and Harry, 35, across Christmas as they drew up their plans from their luxury bolt-hole on the west coast of Canada 

The women met when Meghan moved to Canada to film Suits and bonded over a shared love of yoga

Dressed in sleek red leggings and matching puffer jacket, with full hair and make-up thanks to her make-up artist who arrived late morning, Mulroney remained tight-lipped over her friends’ game-changing announcement.

But Mulroney telegraphed her support for Meghan directly after the Sussex’s released their statement by posting a quotation on her Instagram account that read, ‘A Strong Woman Looks A Challenge In The Eye and Gives It A Wink.’

Mulroney is part of Meghan’s glossy North America celebrity pack that includes Suits actresses Abigail Spencer and Janna Gavankar, Soho House consultant Markus Anderson, Serena Williams and designer Misha Nonoo who has been credited as the matchmaker who brought Meghan and Harry together.

The women met when Meghan moved to Canada to film Suits and bonded over a shared love of yoga. Mulroney was a key player in every aspect of Meghan’s wedding plans – helping her choose the dress designer and speaking daily.

And while Meghan and Harry’s announcement was reportedly shared with senior family members including Prince Charles and William and the Queen herself mere minutes before it went live, it is rumored that Mulroney has been privy to much of her close friend’s agonizing and plotting in past months.

It has since emerged that the couple quietly trademarked hundreds of products under the ‘brand’ SussexRoyal and that Harry pitched for roles for his wife as early as last summer. He was overheard at the Lion King premier telling a bemused looking Bob Iger – Disney’s Chairman and CEO – that Meghan, ‘does voice-overs’ and was ‘really interested.’

It had been suggested that Mulroney stayed on at Vancouver Island to help look after baby Archie while Meghan, 38, made her fleeting trip to the UK to deliver the bombshell news alongside her husband, 35

Exclusive pictures and video obtained by DailyMail.com on the eve of the Royal family’s ‘crisis summit,’ reveal that Mulroney is not at her friend’s side but 2,700 miles away. She is back at the Toronto home that she shares with husband, Ben, 43 – son of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney – and their three children

The beleaguered Duchess’s longtime confidante did not comment on the furor that has raged since Meghan and Harry’s shock announcement, when DailyMail.com caught up with her running errands, Sunday afternoon

Jessica’s husband Ben headed off to the gym alone this morning and slipped on the ice outside his home

Mulroney is part of Meghan’s glossy North America celebrity pack that includes Suits actresses Abigail Spencer and Janna Gavankar, Soho House consultant Markus Anderson, Serena Williams and designer Misha Nonoo who has been credited as the matchmaker who brought Meghan and Harry together. Jessica’s husband Ben is pictured after his fall 

While Meghan and Harry’s announcement was reportedly shared with senior family members including Prince Charles and William and the Queen herself mere minutes before it went live, it is rumored that Mulroney has been privy to much of her close friend’s agonizing and plotting in past months

Meghan recorded a voice-over for Disney before embarking on their six-week Christmas vacation. The deal was signed in return for a donation to Elephants Without Borders, a nonprofit organization based in Botswana that protects the animals from poachers. 

According to The Mail on Sunday, she slipped back into Canada then was spotted on a $134 Canada WestJet budget flight to Vancouver Island Thursday night. 

The Queen meanwhile was pictured looking downcast as she arrived for a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham Sunday morning with the countdown to Monday’s ‘crisis summit’ well underway.

In the four days since Harry and his wife delivered news of their shattering decision courtiers, government ministers, senior royals and civil servants have scrambled to meet the 93-year-old Monarch’s expectation of a swift and workable solution in an attempt to limit the damage caused by Megxit.

In what has been billed as a ‘reality check moment,’ Harry will have to face some stark truths about the financial implications of his and Meghan’s bid for ‘a more progressive’ role and ‘financial independence.’ That will likely mean a tax-bill that could run into millions of pounds and straddle both the UK and Canada if, as they have announced, the couple intended to set up homes in both countries.

Dressed in sleek red leggings and matching puffer jacket, with full hair and make-up thanks to her make-up artist who arrived late morning, Mulroney remained tight-lipped over her friends’ game-changing announcement

Jessica’s husband Ben returns home with groceries. Mulroney telegraphed her support for Meghan directly after the Sussex’s released their statement by posting a quotation on her Instagram account that read, ‘A Strong Woman Looks A Challenge In The Eye and Gives It A Wink’

Meghan has been neither seen nor heard from since quitting the UK. Jessica is pictured Sunday 

A make-up artist, left, and personal assistant, right, arrive at the Mulroney home on Sunday. In the four days since Harry and his wife delivered news of their shattering decision courtiers, government ministers, senior royals and civil servants have scrambled to meet the Queen’s expectation of a swift solution in an attempt to limit the damage caused by Megxit

Prince Charles, William and Harry have all been summoned to the Queen’s Norfolk estate – usually associated with family Christmases rather than crises – while Meghan will join via telephone from Canada.

But whatever deal can be hammered out – and hammered out it must be according to the Queen – the damage done to filial and sibling bonds may never heal.

The Sunday Times reported that, for his part, the Duke of Cambridge has told friends that he can no longer be the one to support and protect his younger brother from the realities of life or consequences of his decisions.

Prince William reportedly told one friend, ‘I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that anymore – we’re separate entities.’