Meghan Markle jokes about her pet chickens ahead of big UK move with Prince Harry


The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be touching down in the UK in just days, but what is going to happen to their beloved pet animals in Montecito?


Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, visits Batyr, a mental health engagement programme, at Swinburne University of Technology © POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Eleanor Dye
Eleanor DyeOnline Royal Correspondent
59 minutes ago

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be making their big move to the UK in just days – but it's thought they'll be leaving a couple of their beloved pets behind. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to arrive in Britain before the end of the month so that their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, can start school in September. 

Ahead of their imminent arrival, Meghan, 45, took to her Instagram account to share a video of her tea towel, which read: "People who take care of chickens are literally chicken tenders." She could be heard giggling in the background, with the song Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band playing. 

The playful post also featured black-and-white sketches of chickens, showing that Meghan remains a committed parent to her flock and will miss them when she moves overseas. 

A tea towel with a joke about chickens shared by Meghan Markle: "People who take care of chickens are literally chicken tenders"© Instagram / @meghan
Meghan Markle shared a playful post about her chickens

HELLO! understands that while the couple's dogs – Pula and Mia – will be coming across the Atlantic with the Sussexes, it's unlikely that the chickens will be coming too. 

However, this doesn't mean the birds will be going anywhere, as staff will tend to their Montecito home in the family's absence.

The video marked Meghan's first post on her personal Instagram account since her move to Britain was announced. 

However, she's posted frequently on her brand account, As Ever, including a glimpse of her latest product launch, spiced apple butter, and will continue to run the company after her move to the UK.  

Lilibet Diana feeds chickens with mum Meghan

All about Harry and Meghan's pets

Harry and Meghan are the proud owners of black labrador Pula and beagle Mia, who were rescued in 2018 and 2022. 

They featured in a video for Meghan's 45th birthday earlier this month and were seen being rather naughty when it came to wearing party hats, with Pula carrying hers in her mouth instead. 

The Duchess of Sussex wore affordable Crocs to tend to her chickens in her new Netflix series© Netflix
The Duchess of Sussex tending to her chickens in her Netflix series

Meghan previously had another beagle called Guy, who she adopted in 2015, but she revealed her beloved rescue had sadly passed away in an Instagram post at the start of 2025. 

The couple also own a flock of chickens, who live in a pen called "Archie's Chick Inn". They include Sinkie, who previously belonged to Ellen DeGeneres, but was rehomed after being picked on by Ellen's other chickens.

In her lifestyle cooking show, With Love, Meghan, released last year, the Duchess revealed that there's one more pet her children are desperate to own. 

Meghan and Harry's black labrador pula carried her party hat in her mouth!© Instagram / @meghan
Meghan and Harry's black labrador pula carried her party hat in her mouth!

She told Chrissy Teigen, who featured in one episode: "My kids really want a cat. Really want a cat."

Latest on Prince Harry and Meghan's return to the UK 

Harry, the Duchess of Sussex and their children are to settle themselves in the UK for an "extended period" of time by the end of the month, with the children enrolled in British schools ready to start in September.

On Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex joined actors Sir Stephen Fry, Sharon Stone and Alyssa Milano in guest-curating a Ukraine photography exhibition in Los Angeles ahead of his return to the UK.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 © Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Meghan and Harry are no longer working members of the royal family

Former soldier Harry will miss the unveiling of Postcode Ukraine: Diary of a Volunteer, which has been put together to raise funds for frontline grassroots aid as Russia’s full-scale invasion nears its fifth year. 

It will go on show in California on 11 September, by which time Harry is expected to have arrived in the UK. 

More Royalty
See more
Conversation

For more information on our conversation section, please read our Community Guidelines. Comments featured and views shared are not endorsed by HELLO!.