Meghan Markle's birthday plans reveal the stark reality of her new life

Meghan Markle is about to celebrate her 39th birthday, but her celebrations this year will look very different.

Meghan and Harry have been living in her home city of Los Angeles, in Tyler Perry's mansion, which is also where her mother Doria Ragland lives, according to the Express.

It's expected to be a very private day celebrating with Harry and their 1-year-old son Archie. It's also likely that Meghan's mum will join in, as the pair are very close.

Doria is understood to have been a regular visitor at Harry and Meghan's new home, amid rumours she's even moved in to help out with little Archie.

Meghan will probably have a pretty low-key birthday to mark the final year of her 30s in light of the current pandemic.

Recent celebrations suggest it'll be a quiet affair, as the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary in May with Mexican food and margaritas.

That same month, Archie turned 1 and Meghan shared a video of herself reading a book to him in support of the Save the Children campaign.

Harry shared a photo to the now-inactive Sussex Royal Instagram account for Meghan's 38th birthday last year.

"Wishing HRH The Duchess of Sussex a very Happy Birthday," he wrote in the caption.

"Happy Birthday to my amazing wife. Thank you for joining me on this adventure! - Love, H."

That birthday was her first as a mum, with the couple spending it in private at Frogmore Cottage with Archie, then 3 months old.

The couple left royal duties in January to become financially independent from the royal family.

And it sounds like Meghan won't get any official recognition from the royal family, as the Daily Mail reported that the bells of Westminster Abbey won't be ringing for Meghan's birthday.

The bells are usually rung to mark the birthdays of senior members of the royal family and through the line of succession to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.

Last year Meghan and Harry were invited to Balmoral Castle to spend a few days with the Queen, with the monarch even throwing a birthday tea for Meghan.

Sources said this was a "huge honour".

When they were first dating in 2017, Harry flew Meghan to Botswana for her 36th birthday, where they went camping under the stars.