The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pulled back the curtain on their “fairytale” day-to-day life in California during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The two-hour primetime special contained many revelations about the couple’s departure from the royal family, as well as a glimpse at their new lives in the United States.

Meghan said not only have they survived what they described as an ordeal, but are “thriving” and their life together is “greater than any fairytale you’ve ever read”.

While the interview itself was conducted at a nearby property, Winfrey later joined the couple at their home in Montecito, a celebrity enclave west of Los Angeles.

Harry and Meghan showed off their chicken coop, made up of hens the couple said had been rescued from a factory farm.

A plaque on the side of the hut read, “Archie’s Chick In. Established 2021”.

Meghan said the couple welcomed the chance to “live authentically” and wanted to get back to “basics”. She said their new home represented “peace”.

They were dressed casually while showing Winfrey around the coop, with Harry in a pair of wellies and a T-shirt.

Later, during a discussion about the couple’s second child – a girl, a delighted Harry said they are “just grateful”.

To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we’ve got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs

He added: “To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing.

“But to have a boy and then a girl, I mean what more can you ask for? Now we’ve got our family, we got the four of us and our two dogs.”

Towards the end of the programme, the duke opened up on life in lockdown in sun-drenched California, speaking of his delight at taking Archie for walks on the beach.

He told Winfrey: “This year has been crazy for everybody but to have outdoor space where I can go for walks with Archie and we can go for walks as a family and with the dogs, and go for hikes or go down to the beach which is so close, all of these things are just…

“I guess the highlight for me is sticking him on the back of a bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on these bike rides, something which I was never able to do when I was young.”

“And I can see him on the back and he’s got his arms out and he’s like ‘woahhh, chatty, chatty, chatty, palm tree, house’ and all this sort of stuff, and I do, I think to myself ‘wow’.”

Asked by Winfrey what Archie’s favourite word is, Meghan said he is “on a roll”, and “in the past couple of weeks it has been ‘hydrate’ which is just hysterical”.

Harry said whenever anyone leaves the house, Archie tells them “drive safe”.

The interview ended with a look to the future, with Meghan telling Winfrey the family had not only survived what they described as a devastating period, but were “thriving”.

She said: “And now because we’re actually on the other side, we’ve actually not just survived but are thriving, this.. miracles. I think all of those things I was hoping for have happened. And this is in some ways just the beginning for us.”

Winfrey asked if Meghan’s story with a prince “does have a happy ending”, to which she replied: “It does. Greater than any fairytale you’ve ever read.”

Harry agreed that Meghan had “saved” him and said he believed there was a “bigger purpose” – and “other forces” had been involved.

He added: “I am the last person to think… but it’s undeniable, when these things have happened, where the overlap is. So, yeah, without question she saved me.”

Meghan said she disagreed and Harry “saved all of us”, and made a decision that “certainly saved my life and saved all of us”.