The season of goodwill has sparked a digital firestorm for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, after the Duchess shared a new family photo for their 2025 holiday card. While Christmas cards are traditionally a medium for festive cheer, the Sussexes’ latest offering has instead reignited a fierce debate over their paradoxical relationship with the spotlight.
Critics and royal watchers alike have wasted no time calling out the couple, highlighting a jarring disconnect between their litigious demands for privacy and their strategic use of family imagery to bolster their global brand.
### The Confusion Over Archie and Lilibet’s Public Exposure
Meghan Markle’s latest Instagram post for the holiday featured the family of four. However, online observers immediately noticed that the royal couple seemed to keep their children’s faces hidden—Prince Harry’s hands covered Archie’s face, while Lilibet’s hair obscured hers.
This move raised eyebrows, especially since the couple had already shared images showing their children’s faces in the past. For critics, it made little sense to hide them now.
Some accused Prince Harry and Meghan of hypocrisy and called their choice “annoyingly questionable.” A royal source told Radar Online:
*“It strikes people as very odd that Meghan and Harry are still obscuring their children’s faces when Meghan has already shared images of them online to promote her As Ever brand.”*
The decision led to renewed scrutiny of the Sussexes’ desire to be in the spotlight while supposedly maintaining privacy, with sources noting they are sending a “mixed message on privacy and publicity.”
*“There is a sense they want it both ways—asking for privacy while remaining very public,”* the source added.
*“It reeks of the typical hypocrisy they have shown over the years—moaning about wanting privacy, then using their royal titles and kids whenever they want to get publicity and money from the likes of Netflix and Meghan’s business brand.”*
### Meghan’s Oprah Interview Resurfaces
This isn’t the first time Meghan and Harry have been accused of trying to control their public narrative in a contradictory way.
During their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle spoke about setting boundaries and emphasized that the public isn’t entitled to all information about them, simply because they’re public figures. She explained that they would only share “parts of their lives” they felt comfortable revealing.
Markle likened it to how anyone on social media might share some photos but not give everyone access to their entire camera roll, saying:
*“It’s about boundaries and it’s about respect.”*
While some viewers understood her perspective, many disagreed—especially given how actively Meghan has placed herself in the public eye.
Recently, political commentator Candace Owens coined the term “Meghan Markle Syndrome” in response to Erika Kirk’s request to keep Charlie Kirk’s grave public, after Kirk shared an emotional video of herself crying and saying “I love you” while standing over his casket. Owens said:
*“Meghan Markle Syndrome, where you want privacy when you want it, but you want publicity whenever you want it, and that just doesn’t work.”*
### The ‘Photoshop’ Fiasco
Aside from the privacy debate, the same family holiday photo made headlines for a different reason: many believed it was poorly Photoshopped.
Viewers noticed that a portion of Prince Harry’s head appeared to be missing, leading to speculation that the photo wasn’t edited well. Some joked that Markle “can’t use Lightroom tools effectively,” while others suggested the anomaly was intentional.
One commenter on X wrote:
*“I assume they did it on purpose to bait people into talking about it.”*
As of now, Meghan Markle has not addressed any of the criticism or questions surrounding the holiday photo.
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The Sussexes’ holiday card has undeniably sparked renewed conversations about privacy, publicity, and the complex relationship the couple maintains with the media and the public eye as they continue to balance family, fame, and personal boundaries.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/meghan-markle-prince-harry-called-out-mixed-message-privacy-publicity-2025-holiday-card-1765864
