Meghan Markle accused of turning children into 'clickbait assets'

Meghan Markle is facing renewed criticism over how she presents her children online after releasing another set of partially hidden photos of Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 — this time alongside a business update.

The latest debate began when Meghan shared a Thanksgiving-themed picture on her As Ever and Instagram accounts, showing her with her children but keeping their faces turned away from the camera.

It’s a style she has used consistently, offering only limited glimpses of the kids.

About an hour after the holiday post, Meghan introduced a new ShopMy page featuring items she selected herself.

Critics immediately linked the two moves, accusing her of using “controlled” images of her children to boost attention for her growing retail efforts.

One source familiar with her online strategy argued the approach is deliberate: “This controlled-glimpse aesthetic is not about privacy – it's about maximizing value.

She is making them into dream clickbait, and managing them for maximum brand value.”

The insider added that Meghan “curates their visibility like any influencer-parent managing content assets,” and predicted she may eventually create social media platforms for Archie and Lilibet to turn them into “online earners” capable of pulling in significant income from branded posts.

Journalist Tom Sykes echoed the criticism in The Royalist on Substack. 

“Meghan’s children, I have long argued, are being sold by the inch, their images drip-fed to the punters as part of the lifestyle she is selling,” he wrote, saying the Thanksgiving rollout fit the same pattern.

“The kids appear in the now-familiar format: backs to the camera, faces obscured a little bit… always just out of reach,” Sykes continued. “Meghan shows the children, but not really… while still using them to market the Sussex brand in the media.”