Meghan, Harry and their children embrace country life in Britain with muddy puddles, woodland walks and fishing

Meghan and Prince Harry have offered a glimpse of their new life in Britain, showing their children splashing through muddy puddles, cycling past deer, walking through woodland and joining their father for a fishing trip.

The 34-second montage, shared by Meghan on Instagram, captures the family enjoying the British countryside just weeks after returning from California.

Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, feature throughout the video as the family settles into life in the Cotswolds. The scenes are a striking contrast to the Sussexes’ years in Montecito, where they have lived since leaving Britain six years ago.

The family returned to the UK in late August and has since enrolled the children at school. They are keeping their Montecito mansion, as well as their holiday home in Portugal, while establishing their new British base.

A very British autumn

The video opens with Meghan and Harry walking hand in hand along a country lane in wellington boots.

Meghan turns towards the camera, believed to be held by one of the children, and calls: “Come on, you – come on!”

The next moments are more playful.

Lilibet is shown sitting beside a fire, warming her bare feet and humming contentedly. Moments later, a pair of wellington boots, apparently worn by Archie, comes stomping into a muddy puddle.

Lilibet then appears on a pink tasselled bicycle, with a doll sitting in a chair attached to the back. She rides along a track towards a group of deer in a park.

Her older brother can be heard being called by Harry as Archie runs into view wearing a pink shirt and blue wellies.

The family’s Labrador, Pula, also makes an appearance, bounding along a woodland path surrounded by trees and ferns.

Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go plays over the footage as Harry and Meghan continue through the woods.

At one point, Meghan turns back towards the camera and beckons again with a cheerful “Come on, you!”

The informal family footage has attracted particular attention because it offers one of the clearest glimpses yet of how Archie and Lilibet are adapting to their new surroundings following the family’s move across the Atlantic.

The children have spent most of their lives in California, but the video places them firmly in the English countryside, surrounded by woodland, deer, muddy tracks and lakes.

A family fishing trip

The final part of the montage moves to the water.

Harry, Meghan and the children are shown sitting together in a rowboat on a lake while Pula plays on the bank.

Harry works on a fishing rod, fixing a hook as the children watch the activity around them.

Archie can be heard saying, “I got this,” with the original footage prompting attention to what was described as his distinctly American accent.

Fish can be seen moving through the water as the children follow the action.

Pula’s name has a personal connection to Harry. The word means “rain” in Botswana, the south-west African country that the Duke of Sussex has previously described as his “second home.”

Throughout the montage, a Union flag emoji appears beside a red heart, rather than a conventional written caption.

The video is the latest public indication that Harry and Meghan are embracing their return to Britain, despite the fact that their position within the Royal Family remains firmly defined.

Back in Britain, but not back as working royals

The Sussexes have said they are happy to be back in the UK, where Archie and Lilibet have already started school.

Their return, however, has taken place against the backdrop of renewed tension with Buckingham Palace.

King Charles recently made clear that Harry and Meghan remain private citizens and will not resume royal duties. A letter issued on the King’s behalf to senior government and military figures reiterated that the couple are no longer working members of the Royal Family and that their charitable activities are undertaken privately.

The Sussexes were reportedly surprised by the timing of the letter, which reached them shortly before it was made public. Their return to Britain had led to speculation that some form of informal or “half in, half out” arrangement might eventually be possible.

The King’s message appeared to rule out that possibility.

The dispute became more complicated when Uganda announced that it was withdrawing from Harry’s Invictus Games.

The sporting event was founded by Harry for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans. Uganda had only recently become the 26th nation to join the Invictus community.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s chief of defence and son of President Yoweri Museveni, announced the withdrawal on X.

He said Uganda did not want its participation to be interpreted as opposition to King Charles and wrote: “Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games.”

The general also said the country would not take part in anything that did not have the King’s approval.

People close to Harry have described Uganda’s decision as a direct consequence of the Palace guidance and argued that the people most affected would be the Ugandan competitors who had expected to take part.

The controversy has added another layer to the long-running disagreement between Harry and his family.

The security dispute remains unresolved

Harry and Meghan left Britain six years ago in pursuit of greater personal and financial independence in the United States.

Since their departure, one of the most persistent disputes has concerned security when Harry returns to Britain.

The Sussexes were told they would not receive taxpayer-funded police protection in the same way as working royals after stepping away from official duties.

Harry has continued to challenge that decision. He said in a BBC interview last year that he wanted to reconcile with his family and described the question of police protection as the last remaining “sticking point” in their feud.

He has also reportedly privately pressed Shabana Mahmood for a decision over whether his family will receive funding for security.

The question has taken on renewed significance now that Harry, Meghan and their children are spending more time in Britain.

A busy September for Harry

Despite the disagreement over their status, Harry’s schedule in Britain is expected to remain busy.

He is due to attend the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards on Thursday, a high-profile appearance that has already created an unusual clash with the royal diary.

There is speculation that Meghan could accompany him.

On the same day, Prince William and Catherine are due to make a “royal away-day” visit to the Isle of Bute. Their programme includes a visit to Rothesay, the town that gives its name to the titles they hold in Scotland, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

The couple are expected to spend time with residents at the Anchor Tavern.

King Charles also has a major engagement scheduled for the same period, with the monarch due to attend a meeting involving global artificial intelligence leaders focused on developing AI “for the good of humanity.”

Harry’s other September commitments include the launch of the Invictus education programme, INSPIRE.

He is also due in London on September 21 for the WellChild Awards, an annual event supporting seriously ill children and their families. Harry has been involved with WellChild since his earliest years as a working royal, and the charity has confirmed that he will attend this year’s ceremony.

Meghan considers a return to charity work

For Meghan, the focus is expected to turn increasingly towards her own projects now that Archie and Lilibet are settling into school.

The Duchess has been considering a return to charity work and is said to want to reconnect with organisations and causes she supported during her time as a working royal.

One of those is Smart Works, the charity that helps unemployed and vulnerable women prepare for employment.

Meghan became patron of Smart Works after marrying Harry in 2018. It was the only one of her four royal patronages that she continued supporting after she and Harry stepped down from royal duties.

A source close to the Duchess previously said she was considering ways to become more involved with causes she had supported and felt passionate about, as well as new causes.

Her return to Britain could therefore mark a new phase in her charitable work, even though neither she nor Harry is returning to official royal duties.

What comes next for Meghan?

There has also been speculation about Meghan returning to acting.

Reports in August said she was in discussions about a possible role in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen. At the time, the programme had not officially been renewed for a third season and no role had been confirmed.

Those reports were followed by claims that the proposed casting had been withdrawn after a backlash in Britain.

The development remains part of the wider speculation surrounding Meghan’s professional future as she and Harry establish themselves in Britain once again.

For now, however, the family’s latest public appearance is much simpler.

There are muddy puddles, woodland paths, a pink bicycle, a Labrador, a fishing rod and children exploring the countryside.

After six years in California, Harry and Meghan are showing a very different side of family life in Britain, even as questions over their relationship with the Royal Family remain unresolved.