Meghan Shares Never-Before-Seen Photos With Prince Harry as He Turns 42

Prince Harry turned 42 years old on September 15, and is kicking off his next year of life in a familiar place: the United Kingdom, where he, wife Meghan Markle, and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet moved back to in late August.

The Sussex family of four had lived in the United States—Montecito, California, specifically—for six years, following Harry and Meghan stepping back as working royals in 2020. The family is living in a private, non-royal residence outside of London, and won’t resume their working royal roles.

On Tuesday, Meghan posted a birthday tribute to Harry on Instagram, sharing a sweet Instagram Reel in honor of Harry’s birthday. The photo dump opened with a black-and-white shot of Harry looking off into the distance, and was followed by an image of Harry and Lilibet skiing; Harry, Archie, and Lilibet riding in a four-wheeler (and followed by their dog, Pula); Harry and Meghan kissing in a field (with Archie hidden in the background); Harry and Archie practicing archery; Harry in a straw hat with Lilibet taking his photograph; Harry and Lilibet overlooking a body of water; Harry walking hand-in-hand with Lilibet while carrying her bicycle in his other hand; and Harry and Lilibet kissing in a golf cart while Meghan sits in the front seat. 

The reel was set to The Hound + the Fox’s “Simply the Best,” which features lyrics like “You come to me and give me everything I need / Give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams,” and “In your heart, I see the start of every night and every day / In your eyes, I get lost, I get washed away / Just as long as I’m here in your arms / I can be in no better place.” The chorus’s lyrics are, “You’re simply the best / Better than all the rest / Better than anyone, anyone I’ve ever met / And I’m stuck on your heart / I hang on every word you say / Tear us apart / Baby I would rather be dead.”

She captioned the post, “He’s simply the best. Happy birthday, my love.❤️”

Just two days prior, on September 13, the Duchess of Sussex gave followers a glimpse into their new life in the U.K., dropping an Instagram Reel and putting a Union Jack emoji and a heart emoji atop the clip. Scenes included in the reel include Harry and Meghan holding hands, Lilibet riding her bicycle while Archie runs alongside her, their dog Pula running down a wooded path, and Harry, Archie, and Lilibet fishing together. The video was shared less than three weeks after the Sussexes touched down in Britain on August 26.

Since then, Harry and Meghan have been busy “settling the kids in and settling themselves in,” a source told The Telegraph. “Very normal stuff.”

“We keep it flexible,” the insider added, noting that the priority was settling Archie and Lilibet into their new school schedule, from which all other decisions would “flow.”

Moving back to the U.K. was “something they’ve talked about as a couple for a while,” a friend said. “It required a number of puzzle pieces to fall in place at the right time, and some of those puzzle pieces fell into place [only] fairly recently.”

“You don’t just move countries on a whim,” the friend added.

A source further told People, “Meghan really loves their life in Montecito and their home there. They know it’s going to take a little bit of time for everyone to settle in and adjust. There’s excitement about what’s ahead, too, especially for the kids. They’re really happy for them and for everything they’ll get to experience.”

Harry has been thinking about moving back to his home country “for a while,” a source told People, with another noting that the Duke of Sussex wants Archie and Lilibet “to understand the world he grew up in and where their family comes from.” 

In addition to being “in the weeds” on his July 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, England “every day,” Harry also has a busy September, filled with appearances and even a trip to New York City for the Clinton Global Initiative later this month.

“Harry never really stopped missing home,” a source close to the couple told People. “He’s missed that sense of connection and belonging. Britain is still home in many ways.” The decision, though, was “taken as a family,” a different insider said.

This isn’t Meghan’s first time paying a birthday tribute to her husband. After rejoining the platform on January 1, 2025, Meghan wished Harry a happy birthday last September 15 by sharing a throwback photo of Harry in uniform, his hair tousled. She wrote alongside the image, “Oh hi, Birthday Boy🔥.” The photo shared was reportedly taken on Harry’s 31st birthday in 2015, the year before he met Meghan.