“Oh I know. The longest I went without being around our kids was almost three weeks,” she said. “I was… not well.”

The 2022 U.K. Trip

In September 2022, Meghan and Prince Harry traveled to London for a series of charity events when Queen Elizabeth died at age 96. The couple, who had already been away from their young children while visiting Manchester and Germany, ended up remaining abroad for 17 days as funeral arrangements unfolded.

Harry later recalled the experience in his memoir Spare: “Our quick trip would now be an odyssey. Another ten days, at least. Difficult days at that.

More, we’d have to be away from the children for longer than we’d planned, longer than we’d ever been.” He noted that once he and Meghan returned to California the day after the state funeral, they “couldn’t let [the kids] out of their sight.”

Life Today in California

Now raising Archie and Lilibet in Montecito, Meghan and Harry continue to keep family life private. The Duchess recently told PEOPLE that having older children has allowed her to reconnect with her personal passions, which she shares in her Netflix series.

“When your children get to a certain age — when you’re not just playing in the sandbox with them but almost playing in your own sandbox again — it’s super joyful,” she explained. “As a woman, a mom and a wife, to be able to find yourself again… is a wonderful feeling.”