Exclusive: Meghan Markle on Being in ‘Honeymoon Period’ Again with Husband Prince Harry: ‘I See This Spark in His Eye…..See More

It’s exactly how it was in the beginning,” the Duchess of Sussex tells PEOPLE of her relationship with Harry

Meghan Markle says she and Prince Harry are in a “honeymoon period” again as she reignites her creative energy.

In an intimate interview with PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, opens up about how her husband is loving seeing her dive back into the entrepreneurial world with her lifestyle brand As ever and her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

My husband met me when I had The Tig, and I see this spark in his eye when he sees me doing the thing that I was doing when he first met me,” she says.

“It’s almost like a honeymoon period again,” she adds, “because it’s exactly how it was in the beginning when he’d watch me scribbling away, writing newsletters, fine-tuning edits and just really being in the details of it. I think he loves watching as much as I love doing that creative process. It’s just been fun. This is who I’ve always been.”

In 2014, while starring in the hit legal drama Suits in Toronto, Meghan launched The Tig — a lifestyle blog where she shared her love of food, travel, and wellness—well before the influencer boom. But as her relationship with Prince Harry became serious, she shut down the site in April 2017 and, by early 2018, deleted her personal Instagram—a necessary step as she transitioned into royal life.

Was it difficult to walk away? “Well, I loved The Tig, but I certainly love my husband more,” she says. “So that was a choice I made at the time, and I wouldn’t change that for a second.”

While Meghan dives into her entrepreneurial pursuits, the couple continues their work with the Archewell Foundation as Harry, 40, focuses on his philanthropic efforts.

“I imagine that it’s the same as it would be for any couple,” she says. “You have your individual jobs, but then you have things that you share together.”

We’ve been such a close team for so long that we’re just in it beat by beat with each other,” she shares. “And I love that. To be able to be a female founder and do that with my husband’s support means everything.”

Meghan and Harry, who wed in 2018, have settled into a comfortable rhythm at home in Montecito, California, with their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

Meghan shares that Montecito has become a protective community for the Sussexes. “Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do, despite however unique our situation is,” she says.

For Meghan, that normalcy includes casual nights out with Harry and friends.

“We go to a lot of dinners, and not just in people’s homes or private rooms; we just go into the restaurant,” she shares. “I really love that we can just have fun.”

A friend tells PEOPLE, “They’re very gentle and attentive. There’s a sweetness to their family. You can see that as a unit, they’re all very connected.”

Afternoons are marked by what they lovingly call “day dates,” where they share a quiet lunch together. In true parent fashion, the evenings include “nightcap recaps” — unwinding with a drink as they chat about their day and make lunch boxes.

“I think all parents in this phase with kids the same age know it’s rinse and repeat,” she says.

They also enjoy catching up on their favorite shows together. “We love Shrinking; we just finished Black Doves, and we’re excited for the new season of The White Lotus,” she says.

The couple leaned on each other following the recent loss of Meghan’s beloved rescue beagle Guy, who is seen as her loyal kitchen companion throughout the new series. Additionally, the devastation caused by the Los Angeles fires prompted Meghan and Netflix to delay the premiere of her show—which she describes as a “love letter to California” — from January to March.

I’m glad that we [paused],” she says, “and could really focus our energies on the stuff that matters.” Amid the uncertainty and loss of some 11,000 homes, Meghan and Harry went to L.A. to volunteer and hosted displaced friends in Montecito.

It will be a really long road to recovery,” she says. “It’s my home state, and I will continue my support in whatever way I can.”