Meghan Markle has given fans a window into her family’s European travels through an Instagram carousel posted on Thursday (July 23), showing moments from their “summer vacation” in Portugal and the UK.The Duchess of Sussex, 44, shared pictures with Prince Harry, 41, and their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, as they traveled across the continent. The collection captured both tender family moments and the poignant visit to Althorp, Princess Diana’s childhood home and final resting place.
A fun family getaway
The carousel opens with carefree scenes from the family’s time in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where the Sussexes holidayed before leaving for Britain. Beach outings and poolside moments pepper the sequence, including a particularly light-hearted shot of Harry tossing Lilibet into the air, in which the camera catches her mid-flight before she splashes into the water. Another snapshot shows Archie in the cockpit of a plane, a captain’s hat on his head as he reaches for the controls next to the pilots. The couple is also seen laughing during a meal together.
A playful moment between Prince Harry and Princess Lilibet captured the carefree spirit of the family’s European summer getaway as they enjoyed some time together on the water. Image credit (Instagram).
Milestone meeting at Highgrove House
The People reported that earlier this month, the family traveled to Highgrove House, the monarch’s private residence in Gloucestershire, to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla. The visit marked only the third meeting between Harry and his father since the king’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, and the first time the monarch has seen his grandchildren in more than four years. The meeting came after weeks of uncertainty over security arrangements and accommodation, a back-and-forth that delayed Meghan’s confirmation and the children’s involvement.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla welcomed Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children during a private family gathering at Highgrove House after years of limited contact. Image credit (Instagram).
“One of the oddities of the monarchy is that we are all encouraged to forget that we are human beings because they are representatives of the institution,” royal author Catherine Mayer told the publication. “But at its core it’s just a family, and that family has been through extraordinary upheaval. Whatever you think of the monarchy, this is a moment that most of us wanted to happen.”
A return to Princess Diana’s resting place
One image from the carousel captures a particularly meaningful moment: the family standing in the grounds of Althorp, with Harry and Archie carrying bouquets of flowers. The photograph shows the three from behind as they paid their respects at the burial site of Princess Diana, who is buried on an island within The Round Oval, an ornamental lake in Althorp Park’s Pleasure Garden.In his 2023 memoir ‘Spare’, Harry reflected on taking Meghan to visit his mother’s grave for the first time in 2022. “We hesitated, hugging, and then I went first. I placed flowers on the grave. Meg gave me a moment and I spoke to my mother in my head, I told her I missed her, she asked for guidance and clarity,” he wrote and wrote.He continued, “Feeling that Meg might want a moment too, I went around the hedge, scanned the pond. When I returned, Meg was on her knees, eyes closed, palms against the stone.”Coming out of the tomb, Harry asked why Meghan had prayed. “Clarity, he said. And guidance,” the duke recalled.