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As Ever founder Meghan Markle shared a mother-daughter-moment with Lilibet but faces the wrath of netizens. The Duchess of Sussex returned to Instagram this year in style, ushering in the milestone with a daring video at the beach. Since then, she’s utilized the platform to share peeks into the most remarkable moments in her life, from anniversaries to business milestones. She has also shared glimpses of her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who make cameo appearances in many of her videos and photos.
Meghan took to Instagram again on Tuesday with yet another video showcasing her kids, but fans noticed a disturbing detail which has since raised concerns. The video shared on Monday, June 23, 2025, offered behind-the-scenes glimpses into her meticulous processing of her As Ever treats, from the point of harvest from her garden, to packaging and serving her guests.
Meghan Markle’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, made a cameo in the video in one scene, standing beside the duchess as she stared over a wooden bridge basket in hand. In the scene, the duchess donning a shirt and black shorts over a pair of knee-highs, with a hat hanging down her back, stroked her daughter affectionately as they remained fixated on the view. However, critics were quick to point out the cringiness of that scene.
Meghan Markle Slammed for Awkward Interaction With Daughter Lilibet
Many took to Reddit to criticize Meghan Markle’s treatment of her daughter, pointing out how unnatural the stroking move appeared. According to them, the duchess’ stroking motion seemed so mechanical and rehearsed, lacking every hint of maternal love. They also questioned Lilibet’s appearance in the video, noting that the little princess looked unkempt once again with her ruffled hair, outfits, and barefoot appearance despite her mom being fully clad in her protective gardening gear.
This seeming lack of care for her daughter left many moms enraged, taking to the platform to throw daggers at Lilibet’s mom, Meghan Markle. Enraged moms argued that the 43-year-old’s stroking gesture in no way represented a mom’s affection towards her daughter, but rather, had the same emotion as one stroking a pet. Citing the lack of mother-daughter bond in the clip, many likened Meghan’s patting motion to someone stroking a dog. One mom fired on Reddit,
“That’s what jumped out to me the most, as a mum that’s not a natural interaction at all, that’s perhaps how I’d pat a dog I’d never met before.”
A second commented,
“She pets her head as if it’s a dog. She has no clue how to connect with a child.”
A third agreed, writing,
“That’s exactly what I thought! She looks like she’s petting a dog, not stroking her child’s back and hair.”
Another wrote,
“Poor Lili is shoeless again. Why is Meghan petting her like a dog? There isn’t a maternal bone in her body. There is no love or affection in her interactions with the child.”
Critics described Meghan’s “vigorous rubbing of her daughter” as “odd and awkward,” “off key,” and “unnatural,” citing this seeming lack of connection as prove the duchess does not spend time with her kids outside her Instagram reels. Fans also compared her maternal skills to her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, with one noting that Meghan was “trying extremely hard to appear maternal like Catherine the Great.”
Meghan’s Take on Motherhood
The As Ever founder, Meghan Markle, is no stranger to having critics condemn her maternal skills. Since commencing her motherhood journey back in 2019, the star has faced the wrath of critics slamming her every move as a mom, from the way she carries her kids to her choices when it comes to protecting them from the press. During her time as a working royal, the Duchess also faced constant comparisons to her sister in law, who was nursing her son, Prince Louis, at about the same time Meghan welcomed her first child, Prince Archie.
The mom of two opened up about this point in her life during an episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast. She admitted that motherhood did not pan out as she envisioned before becoming a royal mom due to “a lot of external things happening.” Although Meghan Markle eventually quit the royal family and welcomed her daughter, Lilibet in the more liberal California, it appears little has changed when it comes to surmounting her journey as a mom in the face of “external” factors like critics and aggressive paps.
