Meghan Markle has been slammed online after sharing a rare video of her daughter Princess Lilibet.
The five-year-old’s face was not clearly shown in the footage, but for the first time publicly, viewers could hear Lilibet speaking.
The clip was shared as part of a promotional video for Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, leaving some critics questioning why she had chosen to feature her daughter while continuing to speak publicly about the importance of keeping her children out of the spotlight.
Some have branded the decision ‘disgusting’ and accused Meghan of using her daughter to help promote her business.
Meghan has always been protective of Lilibet
Meghan and Prince Harry are parents to Princess Lilibet, five, and Prince Archie, seven.
Since stepping down as senior working royals, the couple have generally been extremely careful about how much they reveal about their children.
They have frequently shared photographs in which their children’s faces are obscured or turned away from the camera.
Meghan has previously been particularly outspoken about her desire to control how images of her children are shared.
In a 2022 interview with The Cut, she questioned why she should have to provide photographs of her children to the press before being able to share them herself.
“Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?” she said.
Meghan added: “You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.”
The Sussexes have also continued to raise concerns about media intrusion involving their children.
Most recently, photographers were reportedly spotted around the perimeter of Archie and Lilibet’s school in the UK.
A spokesperson for the couple described the behaviour as ‘extraordinarily reckless,’ per AOL.
Critics were furious about the new video
Against that background, Meghan’s latest post has prompted a very different reaction.
The video was intended to celebrate the launch of As Ever’s holiday collection, but Lilibet’s appearance quickly became one of its biggest talking points.
Critics accused Meghan of effectively making an exception to her privacy stance when it suited her.
One social media user wrote: “CHILDREN ARE NOT CONTENT! DO NOT EXPLOIT YOUR CHILDREN!”
Another wrote: “She’s gone too far. I used to like her but I can’t defend this.”
Another accused Meghan of using her children to generate attention for her business.
A further critic wrote: “Markle can’t sell her stuff, so she uses the kids. Disgusting.”
Others questioned why Meghan was comfortable allowing millions of people to hear her daughter’s voice while simultaneously objecting to photographers attempting to obtain images of her children.
The reaction has fuelled accusations that the Sussexes’ approach to their children’s privacy is inconsistent.
What is the video actually about?
The footage was not solely about Lilibet.
Meghan shared a montage looking back at her childhood, her entrepreneurial ambitions and the development of As Ever.
She explained that she started her first business when she was around eight years old, making handmade scrunchies on her grandmother’s Singer sewing machine and selling them for $1 each.
She also recalled selling Girl Scout cookies, running lemonade stands and working in a frozen yoghurt shop.
“My entrepreneurial spirit was always there,” Meghan wrote.
The video then moved into footage showing Meghan developing As Ever, including making products and preparing for the brand’s holiday collection.
It was during this section that Lilibet appeared helping her mother in the kitchen.
Lilibet’s voice was the biggest reveal
In the clip, Meghan can be seen cooking while Lilibet stands nearby with a wooden spoon and helps prepare what appears to be one of the brand’s fruit spreads.
Meghan asks her daughter: “What do you think, Lili?” Lilibet replies: “I think it’s beautiful.”
The moment was notable because the public has rarely heard Lilibet speak.
While her face was not shown clearly, viewers could see the back of her head and her long hair as she helped her mother in the kitchen.
The sweet exchange was described by some outlets as a rare insight into the Sussex family’s home life.
But for others, the fact that it appeared inside a promotional video for Meghan’s commercial brand made the moment uncomfortable.
Why some people called it ‘disgusting’
The strongest criticism centres on what some viewers see as a contradiction.
Meghan and Harry have repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting their children from unwanted media attention.
Harry has also spoken publicly about the dangers children can face online.
In 2025, he told reporters that ‘the easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media\ while discussing the risks faced by young people online.
Yet Meghan’s latest post voluntarily places a private family moment into a piece of content designed to promote a commercial venture.
That distinction is what has angered some critics.
The criticism is not simply that Lilibet appeared online. Meghan has shared glimpses of both children before while keeping their faces obscured.
Instead, critics argue that using a child’s voice and presence within a promotional post makes the privacy argument appear selective.
One commentator described the wider approach as ‘performative privacy,’ arguing that the couple appear willing to reveal aspects of their children’s lives when they control the circumstances.
That criticism has also appeared previously in mainstream commentary. The Independent questioned Meghan’s changing approach to showing her children, noting that the couple have alternated between hiding their faces and offering increasingly personal glimpses.
The timing has added to the backlash
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time for the Sussexes’ approach to privacy.
Harry and Meghan recently moved back to the UK with Archie and Lilibet, and their children’s schooling has already become a security issue.
That has made the contrast particularly striking for critics.
On one hand, Harry and Meghan have objected strongly to photographers attempting to obtain images or information about their children’s whereabouts.
On the other, Meghan herself has chosen to introduce another highly personal detail about Lilibet, her voice, to millions of followers.
Supporters, however, could argue there is an important difference between parents choosing what their children share and photographers pursuing them without permission.
The video also does not show Lilibet’s face clearly, suggesting Meghan has continued to maintain at least some boundaries around her daughter’s privacy.
Some believe it could be leading to something bigger
The video has also prompted speculation that Meghan and Harry may gradually be becoming more comfortable with allowing their children to appear publicly, per Yahoo.
One report suggested the release of Lilibet’s voice could be part of a broader shift, potentially leading to the couple eventually sharing a clearer photograph of both children.
That remains speculation, however, and there has been no official announcement that Meghan and Harry intend to change their policy on showing their children’s faces.
For now, the only confirmed development is that Meghan has allowed the public to hear Lilibet speak for the first time in a video connected to her lifestyle business.
And while some fans found the mother-daughter moment sweet, others saw something very different.
For those critics, the issue isn’t simply that Lilibet appeared in the footage, it’s that the glimpse came while Meghan continues to argue that her children deserve protection from unwanted public attention.
That perceived contradiction is why some have branded the post ‘disgusting,’ while others have accused Meghan of turning a carefully protected part of her family life into promotional content.
