Meghan Markle has shared two unseen pictures of her daughter, Princess Lilibet, in honour of her fifth birthday, but the move has reportedly left Prince Harry feeling uneasy amid accusations of hypocrisy over online safety.
Birthday tribute on Instagram
On Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, took to Instagram to mark Lilibet's special day, writing: "Our dream girl. Happy 5th Birthday, Lili." The first photo featured Meghan with her hand placed on Prince Harry's shoulder while he held their youngest child in his arms. The second was of Lilibet admiring a lilac flower as she walked barefoot in a garden, wearing an adorable linen sundress from one of Meghan's favourite brands, Cult Gaia.
In both pictures, Lilibet's face was obscured by her long red hair, which has been an intentional decision by Meghan since she returned to Instagram last year and began sharing more insights into their life in California. Despite continuing to shield Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's faces, the former Suits actress has featured her children more in carefully curated posts on both her personal Instagram account and her lifestyle brand, As Ever.
Harry's unease
According to a royal expert, Meghan's new approach to social media may leave Harry feeling "uneasy" because he has repeatedly spoken out about his struggles growing up in the public eye. "There's every chance that Harry might be allowing it through gritted teeth," journalist Duncan Larcombe told the Daily Mirror. "He knows what it's like being a child in the public eye, and he doesn't want that for his kids. But I think we know who wears the trousers in the relationship. It will make Harry pretty uneasy, given what we know and what he's said in the past."
Hypocrisy accusations
The birthday posts come as the duchess has faced accusations of hypocrisy following a recent speech about protecting children online. Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, last month, Meghan delivered a 10-minute address at a memorial for children who have lost their lives as a result of online harm. During her speech, she warned about the dangers posed by digital platforms and called for stronger protections for children online. "Our children are not products, they are not experiments and not expendable," she said.
The speech sparked debate online, with some critics questioning why Meghan continues to post images of her children if she is concerned about their online safety. "You can't lecture people about childhood safety online while also plastering your children online," one X user declared. "Flying 6,000 miles to speak to a handful of people about the dangers of children being online, while publicly sharing your own children online to sell white-label products and being associated with a travel sustainability initiative, is the kind of contradiction that wildly undermines credibility," added another.
Spokesperson responds
In response to the "hypocrisy" claims, the duchess' spokesperson argued there was a clear distinction between sharing family moments and exposing children to unwanted public attention. "The Duchess has always been clear that there is a distinction between sharing moments from her life and exposing her children to public scrutiny," they told Newsweek. "By obscuring their faces, she is demonstrating the very principle she advocates for: giving children privacy, agency, and protection in an increasingly digital world."
The spokesperson added: "Far from being contradictory, by concealing their faces she is actually reflecting the message she delivered in Geneva: that parents can choose to share family experiences while still taking deliberate steps to protect identities, privacy, and digital footprint."
