Princess Lilibet’s Adorable Cameo Nearly Upstages Mom Meghan in New Home Video

The four-year-old, dressed in gumboots, makes a rare appearance in a sunny California clip.

Princess Lilibet made a rare, delightful appearance in a home video shared by her mother this week — and in true toddler fashion, she nearly upstaged everyone, including the chickens. The footage, posted to Meghan Markle’s Instagram on Monday, captures a sunlit afternoon at the chicken coop on the couple’s California estate. As the rescued hens wandered about in the warm light, the Duchess was heard laughing behind the camera. But it is the brief appearance of four-year-old Lilibet at the very end of the clip that captured most hearts.

Dressed in gumboots and bending down, Lilibet reaches out to pat one of the chickens. Her striking red hair — inherited, like her brother Prince Archie’s, from their father — catches the California sun. The clip cuts away just as Lilibet begins to say something to her mother.

Markle also shared other private family moments, including a series of intimate clips, shaping a picture of total peace back in Montecito. In one video, she is seen arranging a floral display while Prince Harry’s voice is heard off-camera praising her work. “It’s beautiful,” the Duke remarks, to which Markle laughs and replies, “Thanks.” Harry adds, “It’s so pretty and pink.”

On the hen front, chicken coops have been part of the Sussexes’ life since 2021, with their own affectionately named ‘Archie’s Chick Inn’ — a playful nod to their now six-year-old son, Archie. 

One of the most memorable moments from the couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey came when they introduced viewers to their chicken coop at their Montecito home. Speaking to Winfrey, Markle had explained the philosophy behind it all. “I just love rescuing,” she said, adding that one of the best things about their California home was the ability to live 'authentically' and return to the 'basics.' The coup also had its moment in Markle's Netflix series, 'With Love, Meghan.'

King Charles, too, shares a fondness for hens. His own chicken coop at Highgrove House, his longtime Tetbury residence, is known as ‘Cluckingham Palace’ — a detail that was revealed in his Prime Video documentary, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision. It offers a surprising point of connection. In the documentary, Charles is shown tending to his chickens in quiet moments — feeding them and collecting eggs as part of what appears to be a familiar daily routine. His flock is said to consist entirely of rescue hens, reflecting a long-standing commitment to animal welfare. In 2024, he marked a milestone by rehoming the one-millionth hen rescued by the British Hen Welfare Trust, naming her Henrietta. According to the BBC, the bird even arrived at Highgrove in a specially made carrier, fittingly dubbed 'Hengrove.'