

Meghan Markle is celebrating a milestone in her family.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared a never-before-shown photo of her rarely-seen daughter, Princess Lilibet, for her 4th birthday.
In black-and-white photos, Markle is seen holding Princess Lilibet on what appears to be a boat, as the wind flows through their hair.
Markle looked lovingly down at her daughter, as the 4 year old hid behind her mother's arms.
"Happy birthday to our beautiful girl!" Markle captioned the post. "Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!"
The second photo in the Instagram post showed Markle holding Princess Lilibet as a newborn baby.
The Duchess of Sussex's sweet birthday tribute comes after she previously reflected on how royal motherhood could have been different for her.
Last month, during one of her episodes on "Confessions of a Female Founder" podcast, the "Suits" alum admitted that things did not pan out how she would have liked.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sit with their son Archie during their 2019 tour in Cape Town, South Africa. (Samir Hussein)
"I will say… I've always wanted to be a mom," she shared at the time. "I was like, 'Oh gosh, I'm going to give a speech with a baby on my hip.' I had a whole vision. Granted, I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and both babies. But it was not the way I envisioned it."
Markle, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Prince Harry in 2018. In 2019, they welcomed their son Prince Archie while they were still senior members of the royal family.

Meghan Markle, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Prince Harry in 2018. (Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images)
Then, in 2020, the couple announced they were stepping back as senior royals, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. That year, they moved to California. In 2021, they welcomed their daughter, Lilibet.
Since their royal exit, Markle has shared limited photos and videos of her kids without showing their faces. The couple also does not take them to public events where they could be photographed by paparazzi.

Since their royal exit, the "Suits" alum has shared limited photos and videos of her kids without showing their faces. (Netflix/USA Network)
After Harry and Markle stepped down from their royal duties, the couple aired out their grievances in interviews and a Netflix series. Harry additionally published a 2023 tell-all memoir, "Spare."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to raise their children in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito, California.
Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.