Meghan shares rare family vacation photos
The Instagram post, captioned simply ‘Summer Holiday,’ featured a collection of previously unseen photographs from the Sussex family’s recent break.
The opening black-and-white image showed Meghan and Harry laughing together over dinner before the carousel moved through a series of family moments, including beach walks, pool days and outdoor adventures.
One photograph captured Harry throwing Princess Lilibet into the air while playing in a swimming pool, while another showed Prince Archie sitting in the cockpit of an aircraft wearing a pilot’s cap.
The photos offered a notably relaxed look at the family’s private life, something the Duke and Duchess have only occasionally shared since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Although Meghan did not reveal where the photos were taken, multiple reports suggested the family spent time in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where Harry and Meghan have reportedly purchased a holiday home within the exclusive CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club development.
The family is also believed to have visited Althorp House in Northamptonshire, the childhood home of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Swimsuit snaps become the biggest talking point
While most of the images focused on family activities, two photographs quickly attracted the most attention online.
One showed Meghan wearing a black one-piece swimsuit while watching Harry and the children enjoy the ocean.
Another pictured her reclining beside a swimming pool with her swimsuit straps lowered as the family’s dog rested nearby.
The images immediately became the subject of heated discussion across social media, particularly after News.com.au shared them on Facebook.
Since Meghan disables comments on her own Instagram posts, many critics instead voiced their opinions underneath news articles covering the photos.
Some questioned why a photographer appeared to be present during what was described as a private family holiday.
“There must have been a photographer there,” one person wrote.
Another commented: “Photographer on the ready at the beach… we want our privacy!!!”
A third added: “Look at me, look at me, LOOK AT ME!!!”
Others argued the photos looked carefully planned rather than spontaneous.
“There photographer is ready and waiting on the beach,” another user claimed.
Others questioned how the images had been captured if the family had been vacationing alone.
“And who took the photos?” one commenter asked.
Critics accuse Meghan of ‘upstaging’ Prince George
Another criticism centered not on the photographs themselves but on when they were shared.
Several royal watchers pointed out that Meghan uploaded the carousel during the same week Prince George celebrated his birthday.
Some accused the Duchess of deliberately releasing the family photographs to divert attention from the Prince and Princess of Wales’ eldest son.
One commenter wrote: “George’s birthday, so, yep! Gonna happen!”
Another suggested the timing was far from accidental.
A third wrote: “I used to like her. This is the turning point for me. This isn’t right.”
Others dismissed those claims as reading far too much into an ordinary social media post, noting there is no evidence the timing was intentionally chosen to compete with royal events.
As has often been the case with Harry and Meghan, reactions quickly became divided between supporters and critics.
The Sussexes remain under the spotlight
The latest debate comes just days after Meghan made headlines following reports of an alleged disagreement during her appearance on MasterChef Australia.
According to Page Six, tensions reportedly arose after judge Poh Ling Yeow referred to Meghan as “royalty” during filming, despite claims producers had requested that royal titles not be emphasized.
However, Network 10 strongly denied the reports.
“The MasterChef judges and Meghan had a wonderful time filming together. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Duchess has continued expanding her lifestyle brand, As Ever, alongside promoting her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
Despite continuing criticism online, Meghan’s Instagram following has grown steadily since she returned to the platform earlier this year, with many supporters praising her for sharing more personal moments with her family.
Still, the latest vacation album once again demonstrates how nearly everything the Duchess posts continues to divide opinion.
While many followers saw the photographs as nothing more than relaxed family memories, others questioned the carefully curated nature of the images, the presence of a photographer and even the timing of the upload.
For supporters, they were sweet snapshots from a family holiday.
For critics, they became yet another flashpoint in the ongoing debate surrounding the Duchess of Sussex’s public image.