As a controversial royal bride, Meghan Markle’s journey to motherhood has not been easy. All attention is focused on the Duchess’s every move. After more than 9 months of pregnancy and a full year of motherhood, Meghan often receives criticism, sarcasm and ridicule from the world.
Every mother has her own reasons for adapting to her new role and protecting her child. And Meghan is no exception, except that the path she has chosen to take with her son Archie has not been easy and smooth. Let’s take a look back at Meghan’s arduous journey of motherhood over the past two years.
Fake pregnancy suspicion
On October 15, 2018, the British Royal Family officially announced the pregnancy of their new bride Meghan Markle. Kensington Palace wrote: ” The British Royal Family is delighted to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. ” Since then, Meghan’s every move has been under the scrutiny of paparazzi, the media, and the public at home and abroad.
The first controversy came when Meghan Markle was criticized for spending money like water, spending 7 times more than Princess Kate on her maternity outfits. According to some reports, the Duchess of Sussex spent an estimated 600,000 USD (more than 14 billion VND) on 75 outfits for public appearances during her pregnancy.
Meghan Markle spared no expense on her maternity outfits
Meghan Markle also made the public “eye-catching” with her frequent act of holding her pregnant belly everywhere. The Duchess of Sussex was criticized for “pretending” when she held her pregnant belly too much. The online community sarcastically said that Meghan seemed to be afraid that people would not know she was pregnant and that she was not the only one who could be pregnant.
The most shocking scandal during Meghan Markle’s pregnancy was the suspicion that she was faking her pregnancy and using fillers to enlarge her waist. Even on Twitter, the hashtags #moonbump #fakepregnancy were created to release evidence and criticize the Duchess of Sussex for her fake pregnancy.
These are images comparing the unusual size and shape of Meghan’s pregnant belly, sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes bulging, sometimes flat, sometimes square, sometimes round. In particular, many shared videos show Meghan comfortably standing up and sitting down with her heavy pregnant belly. Appearing in a documentary last October, the Duchess of Sussex tearfully said that no one cared to ask her how she felt while pregnant with her first child. Obviously, Meghan has suffered a great deal of public criticism and doubt aimed at her.
Meghan’s pregnant belly grew and grew when she went on a tour with her husband in late 2018
Netizens also pointed out the unusual shape and position of Meghan’s pregnant belly
Despite her big belly, Meghan still sat down comfortably as if nothing happened
Breaking the tradition of giving birth
Meghan Markle broke with 40 years of royal birth tradition because she didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of her sister-in-law Kate. Meghan Markle didn’t give birth at the Lindo Wing where Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge chose to welcome their children.
All information about the baby’s birthplace and due date were kept secret before Meghan gave birth, which angered royal fans who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of a royal baby. The Duchess of Sussex also did not appear with her son and husband immediately after the birth, as her late mother-in-law and sister-in-law had done.
Harry’s joy as a first-time father came out to announce the good news to the media
That completely dashed the hopes of fans who wanted to see the royal baby right after its birth. Meghan was criticized for being selfish and not thinking about others. However, the Sussexes were not discouraged. On May 6, 2019, baby Archie was born at a private hospital and a few hours later, Prince Harry appeared alone before the press to announce the good news.
Two days after his birth, baby Archie was held in the arms of his parents and appeared before the press at Windsor Castle. That same day, the couple announced on their Instagram account that the baby’s name was Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and refused to give him a royal title. Since then, all official images of baby Archie have been published on the parents’ social media accounts. However, they rarely update their son’s situation because they want him to have a peaceful life, away from the scrutiny of the media.
Two days after giving birth, Meghan and her husband introduced their first son at Windsor Castle
clumsy child care
Being a first-time mother is certainly confusing for everyone and they are not yet proficient in mothering skills. They have to go through a certain process to learn and gain experience, from which they can become more proficient. However, with Meghan Markle, public opinion has a very harsh view. In the eyes of many, the Duchess of Sussex is a clumsy mother who does not know how to hold and “wrap” her baby too tightly.
Meghan was criticized for being clumsy and not knowing how to hold her son
Not to mention, the royal bride was also criticized for leaving her child bareheaded and exposed to the sun while it was hot and sunny outside, which is not good for newborns. In September 2019, Meghan continued to be criticized for being too protective of her child and not knowing how to take care of her child even though she had been a mother for many months.
Accordingly, when she appeared at the airport during her trip to South Africa, despite the hot weather, she still wrapped a towel and put socks on the baby. The position Meghan held her baby was also considered uncomfortable for the child.
Meghan covered her baby too much in South Africa
Not stopping there, in January 2020, the online community continued to be “hot-eyed” with the image of this royal daughter-in-law clumsily taking care of her child. At that time, Meghan first appeared with her son walking in Canada after announcing her decision to leave the British royal family. In the photos shared on the media, Meghan Markle can be seen holding her child and leading two pet dogs, followed by two bodyguards.
Meghan walks her dog with her baby in Canada
The Duchess of Sussex has been criticized online for her child-rearing style. They commented that the child was in an uncomfortable position with a flimsy sling and dangling legs. Although Meghan carefully supported her son’s head from behind, public opinion still thought she was awkward and awkward in her role as a mother. Obviously, for many people, the awkwardness of being a first-time mother is understandable, but for Meghan, time and time again she disappointed the public and was judged more harshly.
Raising “different” people
While many mothers try to spend as much time as possible with their children and watch their important milestones, Meghan is the opposite. The Duchess of Sussex is considered a workaholic, leaving the care of her first son to the nanny.
Just months after giving birth, Meghan made a public appearance to launch her charity fashion collection. She then left her son in the UK to fly to the US alone to cheer on her best friend in the tennis finals. And earlier this year, Meghan left her son in Canada with a nanny for an extended period while she and her husband returned to the UK to carry out their final royal duties.
The child has been away from the royal family since late last year. He moved to Canada and the United States as planned by his parents. Archie’s separation from his biological relatives has led to public criticism of Meghan as a selfish mother who does not let her child develop normally and lacks love from everyone. The boy only stays with his parents, nannies and bodyguards.
The most recent photo of baby Archie with his dad
Harry and Meghan Markle rarely share information about their son’s condition in the media and also limit updating new images of the child. The most recent photo of baby Archie appearing in the media was the boy being held by his father in Canada on Christmas last year. They want to protect their son from attacks from the media and public opinion, but according to many people, this protective action is somewhat excessive and negative.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussex is said to be very strict about her son’s diet and environment. She prefers organic foods, chooses organic wall paint, and ensures that all of her son’s belongings are safe and close to nature.
It can be said that Meghan Markle’s journey to motherhood has gone through many ups and downs with important milestones that will never be forgotten. Despite being criticized and ridiculed, it is clear that the Sussexes are trying to do the best they can for their son, even though in the eyes of many people it is somewhat strange.
