Meghan Markle has shared new photographs of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on Instagram following the family's visit to Britain and Portugal, prompting a debate over whether she should continue posting images of her children.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long been described as protective of their children, but the decision to release the pictures has raised eyebrows. The couple moved to California in 2020, when Archie was less than a year old. Princess Lilibet was born on June 4, 2021.
Harry has repeatedly spoken about his concerns for his children's safety and has complained about privacy and media intrusion. The couple have also worked on online safety through their Archewell organisation, focusing on cyberbullying, social media trauma and digital reform.
Royal editor criticises the posts
Speaking on the Daily Mail's Palace Confidential, royal editor Rebecca English described the contrast between Meghan's Instagram pictures and Harry's complaints as 'hypocritical'.
Referring to the latest carousel of pictures from the family's summer holiday, she said: "We have pictures of Meghan in a swimsuit on a beach with Harry and the children in the water, we have pictures of local restaurants they have eaten at, local shops they've used. I find that quite extraordinary given the complaints they have made about their privacy and security issues."
She added: "But what I find extraordinary about this is that Harry has long complained about the exploitation of his mother's memory."
Pictures near the burial site
Meghan also shared pictures of Archie and Lilibet close to the burial site of their late paternal grandmother. English said: "I think to allow those pictures of such a personal moment to be published like that, I personally found it quite hypocritical. I think people would say that in itself is exploitative."
The family's latest visit was the first for Meghan, Archie and Lilibet since 2022. Meghan visited the UK in September 2022, while her children travelled back in June 2022.
Readers can now have their say in the poll on whether Meghan should keep sharing the images.
