When Prince Harry and Meghan Marklestepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2022, it was believed that a huge part of their decision was based on their desire for a life out of the spotlight. But with Meghan, 43, now sharing more insights into her home life than ever, some are questioning their public calls for privacy.
Along with Netflix series With Love, Meghan, and lifestyle brand As Ever, the Duchess of Sussex has been giving her followers more glimpses of the couple’s two children – Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – on social media. Photos on Instagram show her collecting vegetables in her garden while holding Lilibet as Archie clings onto her leg, while a recent video of Meghan baking cookies with friends showed both the kids participating.
Now, Meghan has found herself facing criticism for ‘exploiting her children to benefit her brand’, after royal expert Matt Wilkinson recently stated Harry, 40, ‘would rather his children were not seen’. Meanwhile, fans of the couple, who are delighted by sightings of the rarely seen children, argue that any suggestions Meghan is a less-than-perfect mum are unfounded.
Our source says, ‘Meghan thinks it’s ridiculous that anyone would accuse her of being hypocritical or manipulative when it comes to their kids – she won’t let anyone call her a bad mum. It goes without saying she’s fiercely protective of Archie and Lilibet, so the decision to include them in occasional social media posts was thought through extremely carefully beforehand.’
While another insider previously claimed, ‘Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly – not out of a desire to hide them, but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats’, sightings of their kids have certainly increased since Meghan has thrown herself into her lifestyle brand.
The last appearance of Archie and Lilibet before that was on the official Christmas card from the Duke and Duchess . Even then, the photo was a small part of a collage, with both of them facing away from the camera.
Despite the fact this is the most we’ve seen of the children in years, Meghan is insistent on keeping up their levels of privacy.
Our source says, ‘There’s no question of the kids being paraded around in public or courting the spotlight in an overt type of fashion.’ We’re told Harry is aligned with Meghan on all of this, as our source explains, ‘He justified the kids’ inclusion on the fact that they’re selling a lifestyle, and the kids are front and centre of Meghan’s life. So, it’s only fair and right that she can give her audience a glimpse of their domestic situation behind closed doors.’
Kicking off her lifestyle brand with gusto, Meghan recently launched the shoppable aspect of As Ever, which included £11 jars of raspberry spread, and honey for £21.60. While her celeb pals were thrilled to receive curated packages of the items, the launch didn’t go fully according to plan after fans who made purchases were met with news the honey had sold out and they would be refunded.
Despite this, and claims that she came across as ‘unrelatable’ on her series, With Love, Meghan was the tenth most-watched programme on Netflix in its first week, and a second series is set to come out this autumn. With no sign of Brand Meghan slowing down, this may just be the start of us seeing more of the royal children.
‘Eventually, when the time is right and the kids are a little more grown up, they will of course be eased into the public eye,’ we’re told. ‘Meghan and Harry accept that the kids will ultimately be scrutinised and photographed when they get a little older. It’s their destiny, for better or worse, since people are so fascinated by them – they are royals by bloodline, after all.
‘At the end of the day, Meghan and Harry are still fiercely protective and sensitive when it comes to their kids’ safety and protecting them at all costs. But they’re also mindful that they can’t stay cooped up or withdrawn from the world forever. So, they’re doing it step by step and, as always, on their own terms.’