Meghan Markle's Rare Snap Of Harry & Lilibet Has Everyone Calling Them Out

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex understandably keep their kids Archie and Lilibet out of the spotlight. So it's usually exciting when we do get a glimpse of their young kids, like how fun it was to see Archie and Lilibet in Harry and Meghan's Christmas card. In a post on Instagram for International Women's Day, Meghan shared what seems like an innocent and sweet picture of Harry holding Lilibet and kissing her on the head. It would be a charming moment, except they're on a boat and Lilibet isn't wearing a life jacket. Lilibet is 3 years old, and California law requires everyone under the age of 13 to "wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket in serviceable condition ... The law does not apply to children under 13 years of age who are: on a sailboat and are constrained by a harness tethered to the sailboat, in an enclosed cabin, [or] on a vessel engaged in an emergency rescue situation," according to the California Division of Boating and Waterways website. Parents in violation face fines, though what's far worse is that they're opening themselves up to the possibility of a devastating accident.

Some were really harsh in their online criticism. One said on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Congrats to parents of the year, [...] for allowing their 3-year-old on the water without a life jacket. It's against the law, idiots." Another wrote, "It is bad parenting. Would you allow your child to not wear a seatbelt in a car? It's exactly the same thing. Downright irresponsible and selfish."

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex wasn't required to share this picture with the world, so this seems like an unforced error on her part that opened her up to criticism, especially after her Netflix show "With Love, Meghan" had so many moments that rubbed people the wrong way. But Meghan's not the only one coming under fire for this moment. People are calling out both Harry and Meghan over this safety lapse. One person wrote on X: "Harry's the one holding her. He should have made sure she had a life vest on. And worn one himself as a good example." Another person said: "I've had boats my entire life. My children grew up to have their own boats. ALWAYS have a life jacket on your children."

Kids aren't required by law to wear life jackets on boats in the U.K., so we could almost forgive Harry for not knowing better. However, it seems likely that the couple were in California, which is where they live and where Meghan grew up. We love to see the Sussexes out with their kids, but we hope this was a one-time mistake that we're thankful didn't turn into a tragedy.