Meghan Markle shared a new photo of her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but it has unexpectedly caused controversy among royal watchers.
Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry took their children to Disneyland earlier this summer to celebrate Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday on June 4.
The new photograph shows six-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lilibet standing together, admiring Lilibet’s birthday cake. Markle also shared pictures of the children smelling roses in the garden.
Though the children’s faces are not visible in the image, their matching auburn hair is prominently on display.
On her Instagram account, Markle shared the celebration with the message: “Thank you @disneyland for giving our family two days of pure joy!”
The post included a variety of clips from the trip, showing the children meeting Elsa from Frozen and the family enjoying various attractions together.
Her husband Prince Harry has previously spoken openly about his children inheriting his famous red hair.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2023, he joked about the genetics at play, MailOnline reports.
“The Spencer gene is very, very strong,” Prince Harry said, referencing his late mother’s family. “I actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship that should this go the distance and we have kids that there’s no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife’s genes, but I was wrong! Go gingers.”
What many don’t realize is that the red hair gene runs in Markle’s family as well.
Her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., had vibrant copper hair in his youth, and her uncle Fred Markle also possesses the distinctive auburn locks.
The MC1R gene responsible for red hair is recessive, meaning both parents must carry it for children to display the trait.
The new photograph quickly made its way across the social media, where royal fans engaged in spirited debates about the children’s hair.
Many admirers gushed over the striking resemblance to their father. Meanwhile, others couldn’t help but notice variations in the shade.
“Lili’s hair is something else,” one user commented on X. Another added: “Archie’s hair looks dark red.”
One fan offered a detailed observation: “I think Lili is currently a strawberry blonde. The way they lean into each other, you can tell the kids are close.”
A fourth commenter noted, “Archie is not ginger, Archie has that beautiful auburn/copper hair, gorgeous and Lilibet does look a strawberry blonde.”
Others acknowledged the natural variation in red tones: “Red hair comes in many shades too!”
Yet, not all reactions to the photograph were positive. A growing number of skeptics have questioned the authenticity of the image, with some suggesting that filters may have been applied to enhance or alter the children’s hair color.
“I think the photo has been filtered. I don’t believe their hair is that colour. It doesn’t match other photos,” wrote one critical commenter. “And she very much wants to portray them as royal children. Red-haired like daddy.”
The comment received significant support, with 81 likes, suggesting widespread agreement among certain royal watchers.
Another user expressed suspicion about inconsistencies: “There are redheads in my family. Not one of them started out with very dark brown hair, then changed to ginger…they were born with, and still have, the same shade of ginger hair.
“Even taking into consideration the various lighting conditions, the Montecito kids’ locks could NOT change colour as dramatically as theirs do time after time.”
Critics have also pointed to perceived inconsistencies between different photographs of the children released over time, questioning why their hair appears to vary in shade and texture from one image to the next.
Some commenters went further, suggesting that the emphasis on the children’s red hair serves a calculated purpose.
“This is all about Megan,” one user wrote. “She really doesn’t give a d*** about her children. She gets off on hanging their toes over the balcony… but using them for her own gain all the same. Disgusting.”
