Meghan Markle made quite the splash on her 45th birthday when she shared two photos of herself happily leaping into a swimming pool while clutching a bouquet of balloons.

The mother of two, who recently returned to California from a European vacation with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children, Archie and Lilibet, took to Instagram on her special day to thank her fans and followers for "the birthday love."

In the first photo shared with the post, Meghan could be seen sporting a one-piece bathing suit and large sunglasses, while holding a collection of large Mylar balloons over her head as she took a flying leap off the edge of the swimming pool.

The second snap then revealed the aftermath of her jump, capturing the moment the Duchess of Sussex plunged into the water, just managing to cling onto the balloons. Meghan further set the tone for the day by adding the jolly backing track "Summer Holiday" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows.

While Meghan revealed no other details about where the photos were taken, a source close to the As Ever founder told People magazine that the images were actually snapped before her big day—explaining that they were captured by a friend during an early celebration in California.

Meghan is understood to be spending her actual birthday with her family—who recently returned from a luxurious trip to Europe, during which they made their first visit to the U.K. in four years.

The Sussexes first traveled to Portugal, where they enjoyed an array of summer activities, including trips to the beach, dinners out, and plenty of sightseeing. Then Harry flew to London by himself to take part in several events held to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.

He was later joined by his wife and children, who all traveled to the childhood home of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, where they visited her grave and spent time with her brother, Charles Spencer, and his new wife, Dr. Cat Jarman.

Meghan shared several images from their trip, including one that shows her daughter, Lilibet, 5, walking through the grounds of Princess Diana's family estate, Althorp, holding what appeared to be a tiny handbag and a blanket.

Harry, 41, and Archie, 7, were pictured strolling just ahead of her, both carrying what seemed to be bouquets of flowers—leading many to suggest that the family was preparing to pay their respects to Diana, who is buried at the estate.

Another snap captured Meghan reclining on a sun lounger next to the pool at the estate, cuddling the family's beagle, Mamma Mia, who is thought to have traveled to Europe with them. Charles Spencer and his wife are seen in the background.

It's understood that the family were invited to the property by Spencer, who still owns the estate and resides there with Jarman. According to People magazine, the Sussexes "may have visited Diana's burial site, which is located on an island in the middle of the estate's Oval Lake."

 

The family then returned to California—where Harry and Meghan have been based since 2020, when they quit their roles as senior working members of the royal family.

Three months after announcing their decision to step away from their royal duties, the couple splashed out $14.65 million on a sprawling Montecito estate, which has served as their primary residence ever since.

Though Meghan did not use her property as the backdrop for her birthday shoot, she has previously shared several glimpses in and around the home on her social media account—as well as the account of her lifestyle brand, As Ever.

The 5.3-acre estate features a swimming pool, tennis court, playground area, and vegetable and flower gardens.

At the heart of that lush spread is a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom Mediterranean-style home that spans more than 14,500 square feet and offers an array of open-plan entertaining spaces, as well as a huge eat-in kitchen.

However, Meghan certainly didn't use her birthday as an excuse to kick back and enjoy a few days at home. Instead, she launched herself straight back into work as soon as she and her family returned from the U.K.

Just a few days before she turned 45, Meghan traveled to Ojai, CA, where she attended a special screening of the upcoming movie "Cookie Queens," which she and Harry executive-produced through their production company, Archewell.

Images taken at the screening show the brand founder happily posing for photos alongside several Girl Scouts—before addressing the audience that had gathered to watch the coming-of-age documentary, which is due for release on Aug. 7.

Speaking to People at the event, Meghan shared a sweet story about her own experiences as a Girl Scout, recalling a serendipitous encounter she had with one of her former troop members while dropping Lili off at school.

"Funny enough, on Lili's first day of pre-K, one of the moms came up to me at drop-off, and I realized we were in our troop together," she said. "It was so sweet and nostalgic."

Harry and Meghan have shared little information about where their children are attending school, instead preferring to keep as many details about the kids' lives under wraps, save for the small glimpses the Duchess of Sussex shares on Instagram.

In April, she opened up about the supportive community she and Harry have built up since moving to the celebrity-loved enclave, which also counts the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, and Adam Levine among its A-list residents.

"I was just so happy because we take our kids to school and have a really supported, sweet life, running around and doing the things that I think everyone maybe is part of your day to day," she said during an appearance on Bloomberg's "The Circuit."

"But if you don't think about what life would be like without those moments, it's easy to take them for granted. So I love it. We have such a beautiful, embracing community."