As Meghan Markle shared glimpses of Princess Lilibet to mark her 5th birthday, the internet quickly began dissecting the images over details that many argued were telling signs of “neglect.”
The photos, posted on Meghan’s Instagram account on Thursday, June 4, featured the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry alongside the birthday girl, sparking a wave of heated debate over Prince Archie’s absence and the children’s allegedly “unkempt” appearance.
Highlights
- Princess Lilibet’s birthday photos sparked a fierce online debate, with critics questioning everything from Prince Archie’s absence to the family’s “off” body language.
- Some commenters went so far as to accuse Meghan Markle of being jealous of her own daughter.
- The controversy escalated further as critics slammed the Duchess’s parenting, with some even labeling the photos “child a*use.”
“Poor Archie… Where is the boy if it’s a family portrait?” questioned one user, while another skeptic wrote, “Is it me or does the body language never quite 'land' - like bad stock photography?”
Meghan Markle’s post celebrating Princess Lilibet’s 5th birthday was met with criticism as netizens accused her of “neglect and child a*use”
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
Princess Lilibet, born on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, is the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
As she turned 5, Meghan shared two never-before-seen photos on her official Instagram account in a celebratory post.
Captioning the post with a white heart emoji, the actress wrote, “Our dream girl. Happy 5th birthday, Lili,” while keeping the comments section turned off.
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
The first image featured a candid family moment in the garden of their Montecito home, with Prince Harry beaming as he held his daughter in his arms while Meghan stood beside them smiling.
As in many of their recent photos, Lilibet faced away from the camera, with her strawberry-blonde hair covering her face to protect her privacy.
In the second snap, the young princess was pictured walking barefoot through the grass in a white embroidered sundress as she reached out to touch bright blue-purple flowers.
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
However, while the post was intended to celebrate Lilibet’s birthday, it did not sit well with some viewers, who questioned several details they noticed throughout the photos.
One major point of discussion was that, despite the images depicting a family moment, Lilibet’s older brother, Prince Archie, was noticeably absent.
7-year-old Prince Archie was noticeably absent from the celebratory photos shared on Meghan’s official Instagram account
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
One user wrote online, “Poor Archie… Dudes nowhere to be seen. And I thought Harry was the Ginger, photoshop can do wonders.”
Another added, “Lily is being prepared for a business venture with mumsie. No boys allowed apparently…”
“Ah yes, family portrait with one child missing,” a third user commented, while another said, “I don’t know if Markle is playing it the Kartrashian way and devaluing male children because they aren’t the money makers…”
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
Some critics also targeted Lilibet’s appearance, speculating that the children were not being properly cared for.
Several commenters accused Markle of neglecting her daughter and even claimed she was “jealous of the girl.”
One skeptical user wrote, “No shoes, or socks or slip, thin, sleeveless dress. Unbrushed hair, yet both parents wearing long sleeves, heavy fabric attire. If it feels cold to you, it's cold to the child. This is neglect and a*use.”
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
Another comment read, “And instead of her hand on the girl, it's on Harry's shoulder. No familial bond, as ever.”
Others expressed, “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]... Zoomed in on Meghan and you can see she is looking at the camera. As ever,” remarked another commenter.
One user wrote, “Something rather disturbing about the constant photos of this GIRL child in see-through nighties and bare legs and feet”
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
One commenter wrote, “The kids are strangers to Meghan and therefore there's no familiarity or warmth in their interactions. Harry is more natural with them, but there's still something a bit off with him. He does appear to genuinely love them and care about them.”
“It’s so performative and attention-seeking. If you really value your privacy and want to shield your children from the public eye, then simply stop posting photos of them on social media every 5 minutes. This pathological act of ‘parading my children… while also never showing their faces’ screams… personality disorder.”
Image credits: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images
The final comment appeared to reference Markle’s recent remarks about child safety and the dangers of digital platforms during a visit to Geneva, Switzerland, last month.
During a solo trip ahead of the opening of the 79th World Health Assembly, Markle spoke at the inauguration of The Lost Screen Memorial, where she argued that making online spaces safer is “not simply a technology issue,” but a “public health issue.”
She stood before 50 illuminated lightboxes displaying the smartphone lock screens of children whose lives were lost following experiences linked to cyberbullying and other forms of online harm.
Image credits: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
The Suits alum emphasized that these children were “not statistics, not avatars, not data points.”
Meghan’s central message was that technology platforms should be “safe by design, not safe by chance,” with protections for minors built into the systems themselves rather than placing the entire responsibility on parents.
Wild rumors claiming that the former actress was “jealous” of her own daughter circulated online as critics noticed “off” body language
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
As Markle shared Lilibet's birthday photos online just weeks after the speech, many critics quickly labeled the move hypocritical, accusing her of using her daughter for social media content while lecturing the public about the dangers of exposing children to digital spaces.
One critic harshly wrote on Reddit, “Setup to provoke proof of 'online bullying' for speeches fodder and whining about securitaaaay?”
Previously, the Daily Mail reported that PR experts had clarified that hiding her children's faces is a deliberate and responsible choice.
Image credits: meghan/Instagram
They noted that parents should have the freedom to share family moments without exposing their children's identities, digital footprints, or personal safety to public scrutiny.
Megan Dooley told the outlet, “We certainly have seen a noticeable shift in Meghan’s approach to featuring her children on public social media, especially when we compare it to hers and Harry’s earlier dedication to privacy.”
“But a closer look suggests that these appearances are very selective and intentional rather than casual and unplanned.”
The expert added, “Meghan is allowing more of a glimpse behind the curtain into their family life – carefully curated, of course – to support the positioning of the As Ever lifestyle brand as warm and aspirational, with its roots in home, motherhood, and authenticity.”
“Mother would be holding their child’s hand. Meghan’s hand is right beside Lili’s… Like she’s gritting her teeth for this to be over,” wrote one user
