It seems the whole world has opinions about the royal family, especially when children
are involved. Couples across the globe are shamed every day for parenting decisions,
but only royal couples have millions of people watching their every move. Here are some royal
parenting moments that had people seeing red.
On one of Meghan Markle's first outings with her and husband Prince Harry's son, Archie,
in 2019, she was relentlessly parent-shamed online for how she was carrying the newborn.
Today reported on the backlash, citing a Twitter user called out Meghan for not having, quote,
"any maternal instincts at all." And that wasn't the only negative comment that was
directed the new mother's way.
But according to an expert, the royal wasn't even doing anything wrong. Pediatrician Dr.
David Hill told Today that Meghan's mothering technique was medically fine, saying,
"In general, at two months of age, there is enough head control that you don't have to
constantly cradle the head."
In 2013, Prince William and Kate Middleton had their first child, Prince George.
Seven months after Prince George was born, the couple came under fire when they took
a parents-only vacation to the Maldives, leaving George with Kate's parents. Critics of the
couple had problems with the trip partly because the royals were known to have just gotten
back from a family vacation to the island of Mustique.
People criticized the couple for taking time away from their newborn, but others commended
William and Kate for prioritizing their marriage. Leaving a newborn at home was likely a difficult
thing for the new parents to do, and if it offered them a chance to focus on their relationship
for the future health of their family, maybe they shouldn't be shamed for it.
In June 2018, Kate Middleton attended Prince William's polo match with royal children Prince
George and Princess Charlotte in tow.
What seemed like a quiet family outing ended up sparking a surprising amount of discussion
over an unexpected topic. In the photos from the event, Prince George could be seen playing
with toy guns. Unsurprisingly, the internet had a ton of thoughts and were ready to parent-shame.
Metro reported on the incident and pointed to several comments from disgruntled social
media users to summarize the controversy. One person tweeted,
"No child in this day and age should look at any gun as a fun toy. This looks far too
real."
While many social media users were taken aback by the images, InTouch reported that Kate
had some defenders, too. Several users pointed out how common it was for kids to have toy
guns, with one person saying,
"Just leave the boy alone and let him be a child."
Becoming a parent for the first time comes with a host of challenges, and, when you're
a royal, everything you do is under a microscope.
Millions were watching when Prince William and Kate Middleton introduced their first
child to the world in 2013. While many fans of the couple were busy noticing how the pair
seemed calm, cool, and collected while standing as a family for the first time on the Lindo
Wing steps, others noticed something amiss with Prince George's car seat as William carried
him into a waiting car.
HuffPost reported on the controversy, sharing photos of Prince William carrying a swaddled
Prince George in his car seat — a big no-no. Several people took to online forums to discuss
the matter, with many parent-shaming the royals. While the photos shared from the moment do
indeed show Prince George not quite properly in his seat, critics at home had no idea whether
or not the new parents correct their newborn's position once he was safely in their car.
The images of royal mothers on the steps of the Lindo Wing are iconic. With each of her
children, Kate Middleton has appeared on the steps alongside her husband, smiling for the
horde of cameras as she introduces their newest addition to the world. But even a sweet moment
steeped in tradition isn't safe from parent-shaming.
In 2018, the duchess appeared on the famous steps just seven hours after giving birth
to Prince Louis. While many considered her prompt appearance before the public to be
inspiring, she also received heavy criticism for her seemingly perfect appearance so soon
after giving birth.
Multiple people took to social media to share their thoughts that Kate's appearance was
creating an unrealistic expectation for new moms. One such commentator was Australian
radio host Meshel Laurie, who said in response to Kate's supporters,
"“That’s not inspiring! You know what would be inspiring? If when they came in her
room and said ‘Alright mate, up you get, hair and makeup, let’s get out there’
she said ‘Don’t be an idiot, get out! I’ve just had a baby!'”
While some criticisms of the royal parents are nitpicky and inconsequential in nature,
others are much more ripe for debate.
In October 2018, Prince George and Princess Charlotte were seen riding in a moving car
without car seats or seat belts on the way to the wedding of Princess Eugenie. Understandably,
this raised quite a few eyebrows.
While this looked like a clear case of right and wrong, InStyle reported that U.K. laws
regarding car seats are very different than those with which U.S. residents are more familiar.
In the U.K., children don't have to sit in car seats if they're over 3 years old, and
they don't even have to use seatbelts if the car isn't equipped with them.
What's more, because Windsor Castle is a private property, transportation safety laws wouldn't
necessarily have applied in this instance. All of this, and considering the car was traveling
at or slower than five miles per hour, suggests the parent-shaming the royal family received
on this matter was possibly unwarranted.
Even before the age of social media, the royal family was under the watchful eye of people
the world over. And even years later, seemingly innocuous royal moments can come under scrutiny
and spark parent-shaming.
That was the case with a 1982 photo of Princess Diana holding a newborn Prince William in
the back of a car with no car seat or seat belts in sight.
However, as is the case with so many so-called "parenting mistakes" made by royals, context
in this case is key. When Prince William was born in 1982, the U.K. didn't have seat belt
laws yet and car seats weren't widely used.
By most accounts, Diana was an exceptional mother to her children, and though modern
eyes may see this as dangerous behavior, the criticism isn't exactly fair considering the
standards of the time.
It's hard to imagine anyone giving a new mom grief simply for going out of town for a couple
of days to support a friend, but that's just what happened in 2019 when Meghan Markle traveled
to New York to watch her pal Serena Williams play in the US Open.
Parent shamers were furious that Meghan left Archie at home — although really, what would
a four-month-old do at a tennis match, anyway?
Sure, Meghan could have stayed home, but who could blame her for wanting some me time?
"This is the first time the Duchess of Sussex has been so far away from four-month-old baby
Archie."
We're sure that baby Archie was in good hands with Prince Harry, and Meghan no doubt appreciated
her mini-vacay. Although it was probably marred by the fact that outlets like the Daily Mail
painted her as a cold and unfeeling mother for supposedly abandoning her child by daring
to take a couple of days for herself. Yikes.
Meghan Markle wasn't the only one shamed for traveling after the birth of baby Archie.
Prince Harry was also slammed for conducting some royal business shortly after their first
child was born.
Archie was less than a month old when Harry traveled to Italy for the 2019 Sentebale ISPS
Handa Polo Cup.
This wasn't exactly a leisure jaunt, as the event was a fundraiser to support people with
HIV, and Harry's appearance had been scheduled for some time. Still, that didn't prevent
tongues from wagging.
Prince Harry's friend Nacho Figueras, a professional polo player, was forced to defend the royal
from the press after one reporter asked him how Meghan felt about Harry traveling so soon
after Archie's birth.
Figueras pointed out to Harry's critics that the trip was only 24 hours, and cautioned
people against making assumptions about his friend's parenting based on the public appearance.
He later took to Instagram to write,
"The world thinks they know everything about this man. I have been fortunate enough to
spend enough time over the years to learn and understand the man he really is, a kind,
generous, compassionate person who is constantly thinking about how to make the world a better
place."
Even something as innocent as reading a book can bring out royal mommy shamers in droves.
Meghan Markle learned this when she read a book to Archie on his first birthday in 2020.
The video was posted to the Instagram account Save The Children UK to raise money for vulnerable
families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though it was for a good cause, the video still drew criticism of commentators like
novelist Emily Giffin, who slammed Meghan's storytime with Archie on social media. She
wrote on Instagram,
"Holy 'me first.' This is the [Meghan] show. Why didn't she film and let Harry read...?"
Giffin also criticized Meghan for allowing Archie to appear in the video with no pants
on, although he was wearing a perfectly nice and age-appropriate onesie.
Not everyone agreed with the writer's assessment, but it goes to show that nothing's off limits
when it goes to shaming royals.
Most people would say that a parent supporting their kid's passions is doing right by them.
Unless you're Prince William, that is, and people expect you to uphold traditional gender
roles.
Many applauded the future king in 2019 after he revealed that his oldest child, Prince
George, was studying ballet at school and loving it. It should be noted that ballet
is a required part of the curriculum for young students — regardless of gender — at Prince
George's school.
But that didn't stop people from making fun of Prince George for participating in what
many view to be a feminine pastime.
Good Morning America host Lara Spencer even seemed to mock the royals on air.
"Prince William says George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you Prince William
— we'll see how long that lasts."
Spencer later apologized for her comments, acknowledging the "bravery it takes for a
young boy to pursue a career in dance."
"The comment I made about dance was insensitive, it was stupid, and I am deeply sorry."
We've all seen expectant parents cradling their baby bump. It's a natural thing and
reflects the urge to protect and care for one's child. Shamers blasted Meghan Markle
for doing just that, though, accusing her of somehow flaunting her pregnancy.
One person tweeted in response to Meghan media coverage,
"If I see one more photo of Meghan Markle cradling that bump I am going to vomit. [...] You
are pregnant…...WE KNOW!"
Another wrote,
"She should learn from Kate on how to pose regally when pregnant. Both hands discretely
under the bump."
Still another tweeted,
"Meghan Markle is a prime example of a pregnant woman who feels the need to 'cradle' her bump.
Why? I'm pretty sure it won't fall off."
For the record, there's nothing wrong with cradling a baby bump. The Daily Mail quoted
Katherine Graves, founder of KG Hypnobirthing, as saying,
"It's a positive thing for both mum and baby to touch and reassure baby, which is vital
for babies bonding and well being, staving off postnatal depression and facilitating
healthy connection for all."
Of the many bizarre things that Meghan Markle has been shamed for, one of the worst is the
shaming she received after simply announcing her pregnancy. The royal was met with backlash
after the announcement that she and Prince Harry were expecting another child in 2021.
A British tabloid covered the announcement with the headline, "Publicity-Shy Woman Tells
7.67 BN People: I'm Pregnant."
Making the shaming even crueler is that Meghan had previously revealed that she'd suffered
a miscarriage several months earlier.
The criticism of the announcement was a jab at Meghan and Harry leaving the royal family
in search of a more private life — but realistically, it's not like they could have kept the existence
of another child a secret from the world. For better or for worse, this royal couple
and their children are set to be famous forever.
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