New mom Meghan Markle took son Archie out to watch a polo match, but the way she held her baby while there is causing controversy.
On Wednesday, days after Archie’s baptism, Markle brought the two-month-old royal to the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day event where dad Prince Harry and Prince William were playing.
The Duchess of Sussex was photographed holding Archie and kissing his head, but critics online say she was not properly carrying him or supporting his neck.
Other people called out Markle for not having a hat on his head, protecting him from the sun. Markle was at the charity event alongside sister-in-law Kate Middleton and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
On Twitter, one person tweeted that Markle “doesn’t know how to hold the poor thing.”
Others said the baby may be better in a stroller, and that Markle should have been sitting down while holding Archie.
Some came to Markle’s defense, and said that every mother can carry their child the way that’s best and safest for them.
“She’s a new mom, she’s learning…” one person commented on Instagram.
“Fancy being the kind of person that takes to social media to pick apart a brand new mum’s parenting! How sad! As if anyone is that perfect they have the right to belittle and judge a woman who’s recently had her first child and in the spotlight,” one Twitter user wrote.
According to parenting expert Maureen Dennis, there is nothing wrong with the way Markle is holding Archie.
“It’s her baby, and they have their own bond and they know what works best for them as mother and child,” Dennis told Global News.
“You can see that she is leaning back a bit and Archie has his head resting on her, that’s why she isn’t holding his head with her hands.”
Dennis also says that many of the photos captured of Markle show her standing still, and it’s “completely inappropriate” to judge her parenting based on these snaps.
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“I’m sure if she was walking or bending over then she would put her hand to his head,” she said. “I think what has people thrown off is that she is holding him without a carrier and without a blanket, and people just aren’t used to that.”
What’s more, Markle is a public figure, meaning she’s likely going to be criticized for whatever she does. The duchess recently faced backlash when it was announced that she and husband Prince Harry would keep the names of Archie’s godparents private.
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It’s likely that Markle will continue to face criticism for her parenting skills, despite the fact that Dennis says Archie looks “very comfortable” with his mother. Dennis says Markle is not doing anything in these photographs that indicate harm or danger for the child.
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“At that age, they love to relax right against your body — and I actually love that she is holding him so naturally and relaxed.”
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