You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl.
Meghan Markle is reminding us all that before becoming a British royal, she was a tried and true Californian.
The former Suits actress, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, proved the Golden State is still close to her heart when she and her husband Prince Harry gave an inside look at their home over the weekend.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex surprised youth poets participating in a Get Lit poetry class on Zoom, and revealed they keep a little piece of California on full display in their Santa Barbara home.
Their Zoom video showed the couple in front of a stone mantel, while on the wall behind them was the instantly recognizable artwork of a bear hugging the state of California. The symbolism reminds of the official state song, "I Love You, California," written in 1913 by Francis Beatty Silverwood. Local artists have even used bear image to fundraise for wildfire relief in the state in recent years.
The Get Lit organization explained on social media how Meghan and Harry surprised several young artists in honor of Black History Month. Some students presented their own poems, and the Duchess even shared some of her favorite poetry lines.
The org wrote on Instagram, "We've saved the best for last! Guess who surprised our poetry class this weekend?! It was the best weekend EVER! Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were magic and kind and interested in poetry!" The post went on, "It goes down as most epic experience in Get Lit history!!!"
One attendee, who goes by Cielo V on Instagram, wrote, "I'm at a loss for words on how cool and incredible this experience was. They were super kind, respectful and so genuine. I loved being able to hear them experience the impact of words and poetry with my fellow glps!!"
Poet Nyarae Francis said, "It was life changing to say the least," adding, "Meeting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a unforgettable moment."
Meghan lived in the U.K. for about two years after marrying Harry in 2018, but the couple couldn't stay away from California for long. They settled into their new home in Montecito, Calif., in July 2020 after stepping down as senior members of the royal family.
It now appears Harry is making the most of the SoCal lifestyle, and was even seen filming with James Corden on Feb. 5. The stars rode around on a double decker bus, presumably for a segment of The Late Late Show. People reported that Harry's sightseeing tour was in fact a bit for James' Carpool Karaoke segment.
In recent months, he and Meghan have made their new house their own by celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas at the coastal estate, along with their 21-month-old son Archie, who starred in their annual Christmas card. The festive illustration depicted the family of three in their lush backyard with Archie's playhouse and the family dogs.
About a week ago, it was revealed that Archie's birth certificate was strangely edited to remove Meghan's name and leave only her title, Duchess of Sussex.
Her spokesperson told E! News at the time, "The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials... This was not requested by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex nor by The Duke of Sussex."