Meghan Markle accused of 'hypocrisy' after surprise Archie and Lilibet decision
Meghan Markle has been accused of "blatant hypocrisy" after sharing a sweet Father's Day video featuring Prince Harry and their children, despite previously vowing to keep them out of the spotlight.
The clip, which appeared on Meghan's newly launched Instagram account, was intended as a heartwarming tribute to Harry on Father's Day, showing unseen moments between the Duke of Sussex and their young children Archie, six and Lilibet, four.
While many fans have labelled the footage charming, royal insiders are questioning the couple's motives. Royal commentator Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty magazine, blasted the Duchess of Sussex, 43, in a YouTube interview, accusing her of sending mixed messages about family privacy.
"They begged for privacy and now suddenly Meghan is flooding the marketplace with photographs of their children," Ingrid said.
She then went further, claiming the couple's online activity is motivated less by connecting with fans and more by profit. "Everything they do online is aimed at them being able to make more money - otherwise why on earth would they do it?" she added.
Since stepping back from their senior royal roles in 2020, Harry and Meghan have fiercely protected their children's privacy. They have also championed the importance of online safety through their charity foundation Archwell. Only now are they sharing photos of Archie and Lilibet's faces with the world on Meghan's new Instagram page.
And Ingrid suggests that the new Father's Day footage signals a sharp U-turn - one that Prince Harry may not be fully comfortable with.
The Instagram clip is part of a new digital rollout under Meghan's lifestyle brand, which has seen her launch a range of products and star in a new Netflix show.
Critics argue the couple are increasingly leaning into celebrity culture, despite having once seemingly tried to escape it.
While supporters say the video shows a softer, more relatable side to Harry and Meghan, others - like Ingrid- believe it risks undermining their past pleas for privacy.
Ingrid adds: "Remember, they have spoken about the media and how damaging it can be for young kids, and the next thing you know, Meghan is posting quite personal and charming photos of her husband everywhere. It just doesn't make sense."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have yet to respond publicly to the criticism. But with Meghan returning to social media and building a fresh brand presence, royal watchers believe this could be the start of a new - and very public - chapter for the couple.
It comes as Meghan spoke out about the 'public narrative' around her marriage in a new interview. The Duchess of Sussex was quizzed on her public image in an appearance on the Aspire by Emma Grede podcast, where she also discussed setting up her own As Ever lifestyle brand, as well as what drives her career goals.
On the episode, Emma tells the Duchess: "I wanted to ask you a little bit about the public narrative, because when you sign up to be an actress, you know that people are going to start recognising you, they're going to start speaking to you on the street. But that's very different from what you have now."
And Meghan replies: "It is, Emma! It's very different" before laughing. Emma follows up with: "If you could rewrite your public narrative from scratch, is there anything that you would do differently?"
To which Meghan says: "Yes, I would ask people to tell the truth." The duchess gave no specifics about to whom who she was referring, but later refers to a 'lie' told eight years ago.
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