In the sun-soaked hills of Montecito, where the Sussex family has carved out a life far from the royal spotlight, Meghan Markle is redefining what it means to balance motherhood and ambition. On September 1, 2025, the Duchess of Sussex shared a heartwarming glimpse into her world, posting rare photos of her children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, on the set of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan. The images, capturing the siblings watching their mom at work with wide-eyed wonder, sparked a global wave of adoration. As Meghan juggled filming her lifestyle show—cooking, crafting, and collaborating with A-list guests—her children were right by her side, their tiny headphones and director’s chairs stealing the show. Meanwhile, Prince Harry was across the pond, attending the WellChild Awards in London on September 8, a poignant solo trip marking the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. This is the story of a family navigating love, work, and legacy, with Meghan leading the charge in Montecito while Harry honors his roots in the UK.
The Instagram carousel Meghan shared was a love letter to her children and her craft. In one snap, Lilibet, dressed in a floral frock and a bright pink sweater, sat at an outdoor patio table, clutching a headphone to her ear as she watched her mother film a scene. Beside her, Archie, sporting a red T-shirt emblazoned with the GB Soccer School logo, held his own earpiece, his red hair catching the California sun. Another image showed Lilibet perched in a director’s chair, her tiny frame dwarfed by the professional setup, while Meghan’s beagle, Guy, lounged at her feet. The pièce de résistance? A photo of Archie wielding a clapperboard, proudly calling “cut” as a crew member grinned behind him. “Filming season two of With Love, Meghan was more fun than you can imagine,” Meghan captioned the post, crediting the upbeat playlist—think Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic”—for keeping the vibe alive. The images, carefully framed to protect her children’s faces, were a masterclass in sharing without oversharing, offering fans a rare peek into the Sussexes’ private world.
The second season of With Love, Meghan, which premiered on August 26, 2025, saw the Duchess in her element, hosting guests like Chrissy Teigen, Tan France, and chef Clare Smyth in a rented Montecito farmhouse. Unlike the first season, which kept Archie and Lilibet off-screen, season two wove their presence into the narrative, with Meghan referencing their love for gardening and breakfast-for-dinner rituals. “They take gardening seriously,” she told Tan France, describing how her kids wield their own tiny tools. She also shared Lilibet’s adorable clean-up song—“Clean, clean, clean, clean as you go”—and Archie’s adventures making sun tea and fishing for trout. These anecdotes painted a picture of a hands-on mom, grounding her glamorous Netflix venture in the everyday joys of parenting. “I loved that my children were able to watch me working,” Meghan told People, reflecting on how these set visits marked the first time Archie and Lilibet saw her in her professional element. “I hope when they get old enough, they feel really proud that they were part of the beginning of this with me.”
The timing of the photos was no coincidence. As Meghan shared these moments, Harry was preparing for a solo trip to the UK, his first extended visit since Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022. On September 8, he attended the WellChild Awards, a cause close to his heart, honoring young people with serious illnesses. The event, coinciding with the anniversary of his grandmother’s death, carried emotional weight. Harry’s ongoing legal battle with the Home Office over security provisions has made family trips to the UK rare, with Meghan last visiting for the Queen’s funeral. Her absence, along with Archie and Lilibet’s, underscored the couple’s commitment to shielding their children from media scrutiny—a decision rooted in their 2020 departure from royal duties. While Harry navigated London’s spotlight, Meghan held down the fort in Montecito, balancing her Netflix project with school runs and family life.
The set photos weren’t just cute—they were a statement. By bringing Archie and Lilibet to the With Love, Meghan set, Meghan showcased her ability to blend work and family, a stark contrast to the constraints she faced as a working royal. In a promotional interview with Bloomberg’s The Circuit with Emily Chang, she reflected on the “inauthentic” aspects of royal life, like wearing nude pantyhose and stifling her voice. Now, in California, she’s free to create on her terms, and her children’s presence on set symbolized that liberation. Archie’s clapperboard moment, in particular, was a hit, with Meghan noting to People, “Archie did the [filming clapboard]! Sweet moments.” The image of him in his GB Soccer School tee—a nod to a Los Angeles-based training academy—hinted at his budding athletic interests, while Lilibet’s director’s chair moment exuded the confidence of a preschooler ready to call the shots.
Social media erupted with praise. “Archie and Lili on set? My heart can’t handle this!” one fan tweeted, while another wrote, “Meghan’s giving us modern royal mom goals—working hard and keeping her kids close.” The photos also sparked a shopping frenzy, with parents scouring the internet for GB Soccer School shirts and Sanrio-themed gear, mirroring the twins’ playful style. Fashion blogs lauded Meghan’s ability to make the ordinary extraordinary, noting how her casual set attire—think flowy sundresses and wide-brim hats—complemented her children’s laid-back looks. The farmhouse setting, a deliberate choice to protect the family’s actual home, added to the show’s intimate yet polished vibe, with Meghan explaining, “I wanted to protect that safe haven.”
The Sussex children’s set visit wasn’t their only recent public moment. Earlier in 2025, Meghan shared a Disneyland photo from Lilibet’s fourth birthday, capturing the family—Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lili—in a joyful blur of Mickey ears and cotton candy. Another post showed them baking jam-filled thumbprint cookies with friends, Lilibet stirring batter while Archie earned a kiss from mom. These glimpses, rare but deliberate, reflect Meghan’s approach to parenting: fiercely protective yet open to sharing moments that resonate universally. Her comments on The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast in April revealed the challenges of her morning routine, with Archie and Lilibet attending different schools due to their age gap. “It’s a big circuit,” she admitted, describing her 6:30 a.m. start to prepare lunchboxes with handwritten notes—a ritual she cherishes despite the chaos.
Harry’s UK trip, meanwhile, highlighted the couple’s parallel paths. His WellChild appearance, where he delivered a heartfelt speech about resilience, echoed his memoir Spare, where he wrote about keeping Archie and Lilibet close after the Queen’s funeral. The distance—both physical and emotional—from his royal past was palpable, yet his commitment to causes like WellChild showed his roots remain strong. Speculation about a possible meeting with King Charles, whom he hasn’t seen face-to-face in nearly two years, added intrigue, though security concerns made a family reunion unlikely. Meghan’s focus on With Love, Meghan and her children’s set visits, by contrast, underscored her forward-looking vision, rooted in creativity and family.
The With Love, Meghan set wasn’t just a workplace—it was a family affair. Guest Clare Smyth, who catered the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding reception, posed with Harry and Meghan in a nostalgic photo, while makeup artist Daniel Martin, “Uncle Daniel” to the kids, brought levity to the shoot. The show’s second season, though met with mixed reviews—some critics called it “effortfully whimsical” or “tone-deaf”—resonated with fans for its authenticity. Meghan’s ability to weave her children into the narrative, without exposing them fully, struck a chord. “She’s showing us you can be a royal, a mom, and a boss all at once,” one X user wrote. Another added, “Archie with the clapperboard is iconic—future director in the making!”
As Meghan and Harry navigate their post-royal life, moments like these define their legacy. Archie and Lilibet’s set visits weren’t just adorable cameos—they were a testament to Meghan’s mission to raise grounded kids while building her empire. From lunchbox notes to Netflix sets, she’s crafting a life where her children see her not just as “Mama” but as a creator. Harry’s UK journey, meanwhile, reflects his commitment to his past while embracing his family’s future. Together, they’re rewriting the royal narrative, one clapperboard, one school run, one heartfelt moment at a time.
