A photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s children has sparked a backlash online.
Markle and Prince Harry have found themselves at the center of an online debate once again after sharing a heartwarming video of their family enjoying a day at a local pumpkin patch in Montecito, California.
The Duchess of Sussex posted the autumnal clip to Instagram, showing the family of four making the most of the seasonal weather.
The video features seven-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet exploring the pumpkin patch, with footage of Archie running through a cornfield and Lilibet riding in a wagon filled with pumpkins.
In keeping with their usual approach to sharing family content, neither child’s face was clearly visible in the footage, showing only glimpses of the children as they enjoyed the outdoor activity, but fans have pointed out one ‘disgusting’ detail.
This latest social media stir follows a previous controversy earlier in October when Markle shared photos of Lilibet to mark International Day of the Girl.
That post also drew mixed reactions, with some critics questioning why the Duchess continues to share glimpses of her children while advocating for their privacy.
“This is all about Megan,” one user wrote. “She really doesn’t give a d*** about her children. She gets off on hanging their toes over the balcony… but using them for her own gain all the same. Disgusting.”
However, supporters maintain there’s a clear distinction between sharing controlled, face-obscured images on her own terms versus the unwanted paparazzi intrusion that the couple has consistently condemned.
In a recent speech at the Project Healthy Minds Gala in New York, Markle addressed her approach to parenting in the digital age: “Our children Archie and Lili are still too young for social media.
“But like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits while safeguarding against the dangers.”
Now, a seemingly innocent family outing quickly became a topic of heated discussion.
In the video, Markle can be seen wearing a taupe padded coat, leggings, and wellington boots, while Prince Harry sports a khaki hoodie, jeans, and a cap.
However, viewers noted that while Archie initially wore a padded jacket similar to his mother’s, he later removed it and appeared in just a short-sleeved t-shirt.
Lilibet wore what appeared to be a baby pink long-sleeved top and matching leggings throughout.
Critics took to the comments section to question the children’s clothing choices compared to their parents’ attire.
“Why are they all dressed like it is winter?” one commenter questioned.
“It was 76°F in Montecito when they took this video. Funny how it is a PUBLIC pumpkin patch on a weekend, days before Halloween Friday, yet they are the only ones there!”
Another critic added: “Strange that both parents are dressed warmly w/coat, boots, hoodie & both children are dressed for much warmer weather – bare arms & summer outfit.”
The criticism was swiftly met with pushback from supporters of the Sussex family, who pointed out perceived inaccuracies in the negative comments.
“The boy has on a jacket in the first photo and the daughter has long sleeves in one picture. Not sure how you missed that,” one defender noted, highlighting that the video clearly showed Archie wearing appropriate outerwear at the beginning of the clip.
Another supporter simply responded: “Untruth, please be kind.”
A third fan made a broader point about the nature of the criticism: “Two public figures at a pumpkin patch with their kids is literally the most normal thing for People Magazine to show in October.
“If you don’t have an issue with a Real Housewife, or your favorite actor, or a politician and their family, being photographed in public but you take issue with this family, you need to sit down and think about your irrational hatred.”
