Meghan Markle is facing a fresh wave of online criticism after sharing a new family photo dump, with some netizens once again questioning her parenting based on certain details they spotted in the images.
The Duchess of Sussex posted the Instagram update on Tuesday, June 9, offering followers a rare glimpse into family life in Montecito, California, alongside Prince Harry and their two children.
Highlights
- Meghan Markle's latest family photo dump sparked a fresh wave of criticism after netizens noticed certain details involving Princess Lilibet.
- What was meant to be a wholesome summer update quickly turned into another heated debate about the Sussexes' parenting.
- Photos featuring both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet fueled accusations of neglect, with some critics even calling for child protective services to step in.
Many online claimed the photos continued a pattern they had criticized just days earlier, following Meghan's birthday tribute to her daughter, Princess Lilibet.
One outraged commenter wrote, “Where is child protective services? It’s getting ridiculous now.”
Meghan Markle's summer photo dump was brutally dragged over certain troubling details that netizens noticed in images of Princess Lilibet
Image credits: Netflix
To welcome the transition to summer and the warmer weather in California, Meghan Markle shared a carousel of images on her personal Instagram account with her followers.
The post was captioned “Springing into Summer” and featured glimpses of her home life, as well as a subtle nod to her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
The cover photo featured a black-and-white image of Meghan lounging in the grass in a striped silk shirt and linen skirt, with a large Sarah Bray straw hat covering her face.
Image credits: meghan
In the next image, Meghan shared a close-up of her denim-on-denim outfit, while the third showed 7-year-old Prince Archie playing soccer with Prince Harry in the backyard using an oversized soccer ball.
Markle also shared a photo of 5-year-old Princess Lilibet wearing a white “B Is for Beyoncé” graphic T-shirt from the National Women's History Museum.
Other images included a bird's nest cradling delicate eggs, their rescue dog Mama Mia lounging in the sun on the patio, and a colorful basket of fresh fruits and vegetables sitting beside a jar of As Ever jam, highlighting her lifestyle brand.
Image credits: meghan
The second-to-last image was a brief handwritten note that read, “the one and only,” followed by an intimate, never-before-seen photograph from March 31, 2017, capturing Meghan leaning on Harry during their early pre-engagement dating days.
While the Suits alum kept comments on the post turned off, netizens took to platforms like X and Reddit to express concerns about certain details they claimed to have noticed in the images.
Concerned users argued that the 5-year-old's “unkempt appearance” reflected Meghan's neglectful treatment of her daughter
Image credits: meghan
One major point of criticism centered on Markle’s treatment of her daughter, with critics pointing to what they described as Lilibet's “unkempt appearance.”
One skeptical user argued, “Why is Lily's shirt stained, can't bother changing it before you take pictures?” while another added, “That child with terribly tangled hair again.”
A third netizen commented, “Actual stained clothes this time. Beyonce isn't going near you, Megs. You ain't invited to the cookout and never will be. I'm starting to think this neglect of the girl child is psychotic jealousy.”
Image credits: meghan
Others echoed similar sentiments, writing, “That poor girl wearing a stained dirty tshirt im sure Beyoncé is [not] impressed.”
Another comment read, “That dirty T-shirt on that poor child! Of course kids will get stains on some of their clothes, but why postttt itttt?! It's borderline psychotic: only share photos of child looking dirty and unkempt. What is wrong with this woman?!”
In response, some users went even further, arguing that Markle was jealous of her own child.
One harsh comment read, “This is just child exploitation and someone should be investigating this family. It is just sad”
Image credits: meghan
One person wrote, “Little Betty must not steal mummy’s spotlight… Those poor kids, oh my gosh. Lili always looks so dirty and dressed poorly.”
Other eagle-eyed netizens pointed out that Harry was wearing a “Girl Dad” T-shirt while playing with his son.
One critic expressed, “Why is H playing soccer with Archie but wearing a ‘Girl Dad’ t-shirt? Poor Archie, fake football, dad doesn’t even acknowledge him on his shirt… crazy.”
Image credits: meghan
Another such comment read, “Harry wearing a ‘girl dad’ t shirt… While playing with Archie, no less. Those labels are so stupid to begin with but I think of them for people who only have a single gender in their family -not the Sussexes with one of each.”
“I find it so performative they have to wear shirts like ‘mama’ and ‘girl dad,’ like no need to do all that if you’re actual present parents. Feels like they’re overcompensating.”
Prince Archie’s appearance alongside Prince Harry in a candid moment also sparked concerns that the child was being treated poorly
Image credits: meghan
The summer photo dump was posted just five days after Princess Lilibet's 5th birthday on June 4.
To mark the occasion, Meghan shared previously unseen photos of her daughter alongside the caption, “Our dream girl. Happy 5th birthday, Lili.”
The birthday post quickly drew backlash and accusations of “child a*use.”
Image credits: meghan
Archie's absence from the images also sparked criticism, with some users arguing that Meghan favored her daughter in her social media posts, while others accused her of using the child for publicity.
As Bored Panda previously reported, the Duchess of Sussex was also criticized over what some netizens described as “odd” body language toward her daughter, sparking speculation that she was jealous of the child.
One such comment read, “Harry’s lack of hair looks laughable. Meghan is still clawing on to Harry (jealous of her own daughter?) With no touch to Lili except for her toe which looks like it’s trying to push Meghan away.”
“The child is trying to put distance between herself and [Meghan]…”
Despite the ongoing criticism, the former actress continues to share glimpses of her children on Instagram while concealing their faces, seemingly attempting to balance public interest with their privacy.
“Filthy, literally filthy… It's not cute to put your child online in dirty clothes. It's disturbing,” fumed one netizen online
