Meghan Markle Shares a Sweet Moment With Lilibet at Their Family’s Chicken Coop and Home Garden

Meghan Markle Shares Rare Photos of LilibetInstagram

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, offered a sweet new glimpse of her home life.

Last week, the Duchess shared a clip of her daughter, Lilibet, enjoying the outdoors while visiting the family’s chicken coop. According to People, Meghan was filming two chickens when the 4-year-old—dressed in a purple coat, striped pants, and rain boots—briefly appeared from the side to pet one of them.

The sweet moment likely took place at Meghan and Prince Harry’s home in Montecito. The couple famously has a chicken coop, “Archie’s Chick Inn,” named in honor of their 6-year-old son, Archie.

Shortly after, Meghan shared another snippet of her children in an Instagram gallery, where she prepped flower arrangements for a shoot with her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and the florist High Camp Supply. In one clip, she looks off camera while working outside and says with a smile, “Are you having fun, my love?” Archie briefly appears before running away, and the video cuts to Lilibet walking over and whispering to her mom. Both of the children’s faces were covered, consistent with Meghan’s approach to maintaining her kids’ privacy.

The carousel also features two pictures of Meghan and Lilibet as the Duchess styles her bouquets on a rustic wooden table in a lush garden. “Mama’s little helpers ,” Meghan captioned the post, adding, “BTS of our shoot for @aseverofficial at our home.”

Lilibet later appeared in the official campaign imagery, holding a flower with her hands resting on top of Meghan’s:

These sunny glimpses of Meghan and Harry’s life in California coincide with new developments in the couple’s professional slate. Just weeks after Netflix and Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever reportedly parted ways, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are moving ahead with a new project through their Archewell Productions banner.

According to Deadline, the pair is executive producing an untitled polo drama in development with the team behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl. Set in Wellington, Florida—a seasonal hub for elite equestrian culture—the series is described as an “upstairs-downstairs drama” centered on rival polo teams and the families behind them. The project reportedly stemmed from the couple’s 2024 docuseries, Polo, which detailed personal explorations of the sport that Prince Harry has played since childhood.

Meghan dragged over her rescue chickens

Meghan Markle just can’t avoid backlash these days, even when it comes to her chickens. By: MEGA

Meghan Markle‘s domestic life is being pecked over by trolls after she shared a video of her daughter, Princess Lilibet, visiting the family’s chicken coop, which led critics to mock the Duchess of Sussex and insist she doesn’t tend to the animals herself.

The clip the former Suits actress, 44, posted to her Instagram Stories showed 4-year-old Lili petting the animals that Meghan and husband Prince Harry, 41, keep on the 7.4-acre grounds of their home in Montecito, Calif., which they purchased for $14.65 million in 2020.

Among their flock is a black-and-white Silkie named Sinkie, who came from former neighbor Ellen DeGeneres, who needed to re-home the hen because she was being bullied by her coop-mates.

The duchess’ quiet life with rescue chickens

Meghan Markle recently shared a video of her daughter, Princess Lilibet, in the family chicken coop. By: @meghan/Instagram

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and moved from England to Meghan’s native California, have long highlighted their quieter lifestyle in America, including their rescue chickens that live in a coop dubbed Archie’s Chick Inn — a nod to their son, Prince Archie, 6.

The setup was first seen publicly during Meghan and Harry’s 2021 CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the duchess declared, “I just love rescuing,” in reference to the hens they saved from a factory farm.

“Meghan intended her video of Lilibet with their chickens as a warm, personal glimpse into her home life, but the reaction online quickly took on a very different tone,” says an insider. “What might have been seen as wholesome instead became a lightning rod for criticism.”

“Trolls began questioning the authenticity of what they were seeing, rather than simply engaging with the moment itself,” the insider added.

Critics question lifestyle authenticity

The Duchess of Sussex was also seen arranging flowers in a video she shared on social media. By: @meghan/Instagram

Some of the backlash has centered on skepticism of Meghan’s involvement in caring for the animals.

“There is a growing chorus of voices online effectively telling her to ‘Cluck off, Meghan!’” says a second source, “with critics claiming the image being presented doesn’t match reality.

“Some are openly suggesting that she isn’t the one tending to the chickens day to day and that staff are likely responsible, which has fueled a wave of trolling,” the second source added.

The video at the center of the fresh attacks shows Meghan laughing as Lili, dressed in rain boots and a purple coat, reaches down to pet one of the birds, with her red hair visible as she leans forward.

It was part of a series of posts that also included clips of Meghan arranging flowers in her garden, with Harry heard off-camera saying, “It’s beautiful,” before adding, “So pretty in pink.”

Ongoing scrutiny around her public image

Critics have questioned the authenticity of Meghan Markle’s domestic pursuits. By: Netflix

A third insider said the reaction reflects a broader pattern in how Meghan’s public image is received.

“There is a persistent skepticism around anything she shares that is intended to appear relatable or domestic, with floods of trolls saying she just often comes across as desperate to be liked, but ends up coming across as fake instead,” says the insider.

“As a result, even something as simple as a moment with her daughter and a few chickens is being picked apart and questioned.

“For some observers, there is an assumption that there must be a team behind the scenes managing these aspects of her life, which undermines the authenticity she is trying to convey.”

Quiet and creative hobbies

Netflix and Meghan Markle have no plans to air another full season of “With Love, Meghan,” though they may produce seasonal specials in the future. By: Netflix

Meghan has previously spoken about her enjoyment of quieter, creative pursuits, including flower arranging, which she discussed and demonstrated in her 2025 Netflix cooking and entertaining series, With Love, Meghan.

“I learned a lot of this when I was pregnant with my son, Archie. My girlfriends threw a baby shower for me, and one of the things we did was learn flower arranging,” Meghan explained.

“I started to find this really calming and meditative, so when I have a little bit of time at the end of the day, I do this. I have a glass of wine and just enjoy it.”

Another source said the intensity of the reaction to her chicken video highlights the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the American duchess.

“There is a sense that anything Meghan puts out is immediately subjected to a level of analysis that goes beyond what most public figures experience,” that source explained.

“Even something as ordinary as keeping chickens becomes a talking point, and that level of attention often quickly turns critical.”