Meghan Markle Called Out For Sharing New Photo of Princess Lilibet On Instagram
Meghan Markle chose Valentine’s Day to share a family moment with her followers, posting a photo of Prince Harry and their daughter, Princess Lilibet. The image, shared on Instagram on Saturday, shows Harry holding the couple’s four-year-old daughter in his arms. Lilibet is dressed in a pink dress with matching tights and is clutching a bouquet of balloons, while Harry looks at her with a broad smile. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also parents to six-year-old Archie.
“These two + Archie = my forever Valentines,” Markle, 44, wrote alongside the picture. While many followers described the post as sweet and heartwarming, others were quick to criticize the couple—largely revisiting the long-running debate around privacy and the Sussexes’ public messaging. One user wrote, “Well that didn't take long did it? Showing the kids faces now. So after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moaned on and on about leaving the royal family for ‘privacy’ wanting to give their kids freedom. They saddle them down with Prince and Princess titles even though they live in America.” Another added, “The hypocrisy is strong with this one.”
Some royal observers also questioned the authenticity of the image itself. “That’s badly photoshopped. Balloons can’t be suspended in mid air..where is the tie? Once one thing is fake, it’s all fake,” one person commented. Another echoed that sentiment, writing, “Why does that look extremely Photoshop? I’m not even joking. It’s so easy to do that nowadays.”
Others linked the post to Prince Harry’s previous public comments about online safety and the impact of social media on children. “Haz was just fake crying about the dangers of social media and children and a day later they post this! Just proving what lying hypocrites they are,” one user wrote, referencing Harry’s recent engagement with parents affected by online harm. A further comment questioned why only Lilibet appeared in the image, asking, “How come that over the months they have gone down to just one child, a girl, I thought they had a boy as well, is he not photogenic enough?”
The reaction is part of the broader scrutiny that continues to surround the Sussexes whenever they share glimpses of their children. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to California, Harry and Markle have spoken frequently about their desire for greater privacy and control over their family life. At the same time, any public post involving Archie or Lilibet tends to draw intense attention—and often polarized responses.
The debate over the couple’s approach to sharing images of their children is not new. Earlier, as reported by the Daily Mail, royal editor Matt Wilkinson addressed the issue on the Right Royal podcast, explaining why the Sussexes have typically avoided showing their children’s faces publicly. “My understanding of this or up to a certain stage is that Harry would much rather his children were not seen,” Wilkinson said. “He's got this idea that if he takes them outside of Montecito, that there's a horde of us out there trying to take pictures of his kids—they're not, by the way.”