Meghan Markle and Prince Harry paid a meaningful visit to Princess Diana’s childhood home during their recent trip to Europe with their children.
The Duchess of Sussex posted intimate family photos on Instagram on Thursday, including a snap from Althorp, the family’s ancestral home where Princess Diana was raised.
In one photo, Princess Lilibet, 5, is seen walking through a grassy meadow in a dress, while in another, Prince Archie, 7, is seen walking barefoot in shorts.
Princess Diana is buried on a remote island called Loch Oval in Althorp. The island is a 15,000 acre estate owned by her family in Northamptonshire, England, now owned by her brother Charles Spencer. It is not accessible to the general public.
Princess Diana’s burial site is closed to the public, but the grounds are usually open to visitors during the summer. However, the property’s website announced it was closed on July 10 and 11, coinciding with Prince Harry’s family visit.
Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris, France in August 1997. She was 36 years old.
Prince Harry and Markle visited Oval Lake in 2022 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of her death. He wrote about that emotional moment in his 2023 memoir, “Spare.”
“Finally, I was able to bring the girl of my dreams home and meet her mother,” he wrote.
Prince Harry said Markle knelt and touched Princess Diana’s grave, asking for explanations and guidance.
Other photos of the mother-of-two in Thursday’s Instagram post are from the family’s trip to Portugal, including a shot of her in a black one-piece swimsuit on the beach, and a shirtless Harry playfully tossing Lilibet into a giant pool as Archie lounges in the water.
Markle’s merry-go-round included Archie sitting in the cockpit of a plane with pilots and the Suits alum happily sunbathing with her rescue beagle, Mamma Mia.
A black and white photo of her and her husband smiling was also posted.
“Summer vacation ☀️,” she captioned the photo.
Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this month that Prince Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Prince Harry, Markle and their two children to Highgrove House. It had been four years since Charles had seen Lilibet and Archie.
Photos of the reunion at the King’s private residence in Gloucestershire, England, have not been released.
The visit comes after a row over whether Markle and her children will travel to London due to safety concerns.
Despite the positive update, Page Six was told that Charles, 77, made sure to have a “witness” at the July 10 reunion: his wife Camilla.
“The Queen was there for a reason,” said royal author Robert Jobson. “Just to make sure everything is witnessed.”
Prince Charles’ cautious move comes after the Sussexes exposed royal secrets and suspicions in their infamous 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, their 2022 Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan, and Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare.
