Meghan Markle is being mom-shamed for the way she held her newborn son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor during the baby’s first public outing, with critics insisting it looked like she was going to drop him.
The 37-year-old new mom was photographed cradling her baby boy and planting a tender kiss on his head while they joined Kate Middleton and her three children at Billingbear Polo Club in Wokingham, Surrey, on Wednesday to watch Prince William and Prince Harry go head-to-head in the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day.
After numerous outlets published photos of the Duchess of Sussex with Archie, people flocked to Instagram to criticize the way she was holding him, prompting fans to stick up for the royal amid the backlash.
Backlash: Meghan Markle is being mom-shamed for the way she held her newborn son Archie during the baby’s first public outing on Wednesday
Say what? After photos of the two moms were published online, people flocked to Instagram to slam the way Meghan was holding Archie
‘Meghan looks like she’s about to drop him,’ one Instagram user wrote, while another added: ‘She’s gonna drop that baby.’
‘Meghan doesn’t know how to carry her own baby! Such a shame,’ someone else commented.
One person noted: ‘The way little Archie is being held. Scary.’
Although the Duchess of Sussex seemed to be nothing but affectionate while holding her baby boy, critics couldn’t resist pointing out all of the things they thought she was doing wrong.
‘She should have put a hat and socks on the poor baby!!’ one person griped. ‘She is also not able to hold the baby.’
Critics claimed she appeared ‘uncomfortable’ and looked like she was going to ‘drop’ the newborn because of the way he was awkwardly positioned in her arms
‘You can tell she doesn’t even take care of her own kid. What kind of mother holds their baby like that,’ someone else cruelly commented.
The mom-shaming prompted many people to come to her defense, even someone who insisted she wasn’t a fan of the royal.
‘I seriously dislike this girl but you can’t put her down because she’s not a pro at holding a baby,’ the person wrote. ‘She’s still new to it and we’ve all held out babies awkwardly.
‘She could be a natural at home but she’s probably trying to shelter from the cameras and the judgment,’ she added. ‘I’m guessing no one can see it from that point of view since you are all perfect parents.’
‘She’s a brand new mother. Stop the damn mom shaming! Jesus,’ someone else commented.
Moms on duty: Like her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton was seen holding her youngest son while she and her three children watched Prince William and Prince Harry at a charity polo match
Hitting back: The backlash prompted fans to stick up for the Duchess of Sussex with many pointing out that a lot of new moms struggle with holding their newborns at first
Another Instagram user pointed out that many new parents struggle with holding their newborns.
‘There are moms out there who didn’t know how to pick [up] their baby for months either, it’s a process so give her a break,’ the person wrote. ‘Royals are humans too.’
One woman joked that she could relate.
‘She’s got that new mom hold on the baby. I looked like that the first 3 months lol,’ she commented.
The polo match was the first time the Sussexes and the Cambridges have been seen together as families since Archie’s birth.
It also marks a rare joint appearance for Meghan and Kate, who are typically only seen together at official engagements attended by the entire royal family, such as Trooping the Colour.
A mother’s love: Meghan was spotted giving Archie a sweet kiss on his forehead as she cradled him at the polo match at Billingbear Polo Club in Wokingham, Surrey
Cuddles! While critics claimed Meghan looked ‘uncomfortable,’ she had a smile on her face as she rocked baby Archie
Proud dad: Sweaty Prince Harry gave his son an affectionate pat when he came off the field after going head-to-head with Wills
While royal supporters were expecting to see William and Harry at the event, it was not known that they would be joined by their families.
The Duchess of Sussex is currently on maternity leave following Archie’s birth in May, but she has already made a handful of appearances, most recently to watch close friend Serena Williams at Wimbledon last week.
The former Suits actress sparked a huge row after her bodyguards told fans not to take pictures of her during the match.
She was branded ‘childish’ and a ‘control freak’ after former world champion Sally Jones, 64, revealed she was warned about taking pictures.
However, the controversy appeared to be far from the Duchess’ mind on Wednesday. She seemed to be in excellent spirits as she cuddled her son in the shade of the polo club car park.
At one point, Meghan flashed a radiant smile as she held Archie up for a closer look at his face.
Following the match, Prince Harry walked over to his wife and gave his son an affectionate pat but was careful not to hug him too close since he was still sweaty from playing polo.