In season 2 of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex recalled one of the most difficult moments she has faced: her trip to the U.K. in 2022, which was unexpectedly extended after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Meghan admitted that being apart from her children for nearly three weeks took a toll on her. “The longest stretch I’ve ever been away from my kids was almost three weeks… I wasn’t okay,” she shared.

Speaking about motherhood, she said it had exceeded her expectations: “It’s better than I ever imagined.” Meghan and Prince Harry are raising their son Archie (6) and daughter Lilibet (4).

Prince Harry, in his memoir Spare (2023), described that period as an “odyssey.” What was meant to be a short trip turned into 17 days away from their children, something he said was extremely difficult. After the Queen’s funeral on September 19, 2022, the couple returned home to California and held Archie and Lilibet close, unable to let them out of their sight.

Now living in Montecito, California, away from the spotlight, Meghan says she has rediscovered her love for cooking, creating, and hosting — passions she shares in her Netflix series. Watching her children grow, she explained, has also given her space to reconnect with herself: “As a woman, a mother, and a wife, being able to find yourself again — in ways that were always there but maybe you couldn’t fully nurture before — is such a beautiful feeling.”