Meghan Markle’s photograph of her young daughter sparked fresh criticism and accusations that it was ‘hypocritical’ – and a source of disagreement between her and Prince Harry
Mitya Underwood Senior Celebrity & Royal Writer
15:17, 25 Feb 2026
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have very different experiences when it comes to living in the spotlight(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been branded a “hypocrite” on social media after releasing a photo showing the side of her daughter’s face, in what marks a major U-turn for the privacy-seeking family.
The former actress posted a snap of four-year-old Lilibet clutching a bunch of red balloons while in her father Prince Harry ’s arms on Valentine’s Day. “These two + Archie = my forever Valentines,” she captioned the candid photo, which didn’t include her six-year-old son.
While the surprising post warmed the hearts of many, some fear Meghan may come to regret the move, especially as husband Harry has spent years demanding increased privacy for his California-based family.
The couple have previously chosen to conceal their children’s faces
Many publications have chosen to pixelate Lilibet’s face(Image: meghan/Instagram )
“I would think they have had some pretty fiery rows about the topic, because it’s not at all how Harry wanted it to be,” royal expert and author Ingrid Seward tells the Mirror.
“They have completely ignored the fact that they said they were leaving the royal family because they wanted a more private life, and they have created anything but that for themselves. It appears they left the family because they wanted a public life and to earn money.”
Given Harry’s strong views on protecting his family from the spotlight, Ingrid says Meghan’s decision to share the intimate photo with her 4.4 million Instagram followers is “baffling” – and a likely source of tension between the couple.
“There must have been some pretty strong disagreements over the privacy issue, partly because Harry understands it better than Meghan, due to his own experiences as a child,” she claims. “For Meghan, being seen with a gorgeous child is just a plus, because she appears to love the Hollywood life and the fame that goes with it.
“But Harry doesn’t and never has done, by his own admission. He’s not a movie star, he’s a private person – at least when he wants to be – and Meghan’s behaviour is very much that of a movie star.”
Harry has often spoken about the lack of privacy he experienced as a child(Image: Netflix)
If posting the controversial snap did cause the pair to clash, then it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Harry, who – along with the rest of the royal family – was plunged even deeper into what many consider to be the biggest crisis to hit the monarchy in modern history.
In unprecedented scenes, his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested last Thursday – his 66th birthday – on suspicion of misconduct in public office following weeks of revelations emerging from the Epstein files.
Thames Valley Police said it had opened an investigation following a “thorough assessment” of a complaint that the former Duke of York had given details to the late Jeffrey Epstein of his official trips overseas as trade envoy. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe claims Andrew’s latest humiliation is likely to be deeply divisive for the Sussexes, with Meghan desperate to distance herself.
“Harry will have a lot of sympathy for his dad, King Charles, and his cousins, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, but the last thing Meghan needs is to be dragged into the Epstein scandal in any way,” claims Duncan. “She will want to keep her head down, but that’s very hard when you have a husband who is a member of the royal family, which is a family in crisis.”
Prince Harry likely feels deep sympathy for Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Duncan says(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
A few days before Andrew’s arrest, Meghan and Harry were seen looking loved-up while courtside at an NBA All-Star game at LA’s Intuit Dome. Although it was their first joint public outing in some time, it did little to detract attention from Meghan’s out-of-character Valentine’s snap.
“It may be a bit harsh, but one could argue that their children have become an extension of their own vanity,” Ingrid claims. “What other reason is there for Meghan to post a photograph of her children other than to say, ‘Look at our lovely children’?
“It’s quite different sharing a photograph of your child with your friends and loved ones, but sharing it with millions of people is another matter entirely. It’s sad but it’s true – it could be a rather stupid thing to do, because it’s out there for everyone to see now.”
A lack of privacy was said to be a major factor in the couple’s decision to step down as working royals in 2020, with Harry making his views crystal clear some years earlier. “Everyone has a right to their privacy, and a lot of the members of the public get it, but sadly in some areas there is this sort of incessant need to find out every little bit of detail about what goes on behind the scenes,” he said in 2016. “It’s unnecessary.”
Harry said being a young royal was like living ‘in a zoo'(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
He later compared his life as a young royal to “being in a zoo” and said the sight of paparazzi cameras reignites the trauma he felt following the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
But without the financial safety net of being a working royal, the couple need to make their own way and there is growing speculation that their new, more open approach is part of their plans to build “Brand Sussex”.
However, royal expert Ingrid is sceptical about their chances of success.
“I don’t think Meghan will be able to build a lifestyle brand full stop. There’s too much Meghan and too little lifestyle in that brand [As Ever]. It’s all about Meghan,” she claims.
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