Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s latest photo with their daughter, Princess Lilibet, has sparked backlash online, with some social media users thinking the picture is heavily edited, or could even be AI!
A-listers are no strangers to Photoshop fails and controversies, and the royal family alone has had its fair share of image-related scandals over the years. Who could forget the Princess of Wales’ infamous Mother’s Day photo that made headlines around the world in 2024, and the couple’s 2023 Christmas card photo?
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Picture With Daughter Princess Lilibet Is Scrutinized Online
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also faced scrutiny over the family photos they have released in the past, including the one on their 2025 Christmas card. And this time around, the couple have been accused by many people on social media of poorly editing a picture of themselves with Princess Lilibet, which Meghan posted to mark their daughter's fifth birthday.
In the now-viral image, Prince Harry is dressed in a dark blue outfit while holding his daughter in his arms. The five-year-old is wearing a white floral dress and is barefoot, with her red hair flowing behind her. The former Suits actress is wearing olive-colored trousers and a coordinating khaki top, with her hair worn in her signature updo. She can be seen smiling while holding onto Prince Harry's arm and gazing lovingly at their daughter.
So far, so good. But upon closer inspection, many social media users claimed there were several details that looked unusual, including the lighting, body positioning, and the appearance of certain limbs and hands, leading them to accuse the couple of Photoshopping the image or using AI to generate it! "The girl's fingers appearing behind Harry's neck don't make anatomical sense with the position of her body unless her arm is somehow twice the normal length and she has become Stretch Armstrong," one person wrote on X.
They continued: "There is strange blending around the arms, hands and clothing folds that gives parts of the image that over-processed 'stitched together' look." The user went on to argue that AI-generated images often "struggle with finger joints and overlapping limbs" and maintaining natural depth between subjects, which is why they were convinced that this was a fake picture.
The same user also said: "There is something very off about Harry's face, his smile appears directed downward toward the girl but his eye focus doesn't completely align naturally with where the child's face would be. It creates that slightly stitched together look you sometimes get when multiple photos are blended for the 'perfect family moment.'"
Internet Reactions
"I am not 100% sure but it's def odd," replied one X user. "It's fake… as ever!" exclaimed a second, also mocking Meghan's As Ever lifestyle brand, as a third slammed: "Look at her left leg. Enlarge it. Def photoshopped. Yet Catherine gets persecuted for a photoshopped pic while these two photoshop like it's a religion."
"The girl's right leg is super blurred. No camera has the ability to do that while three people are fully in focus," observed a fourth, as a fifth echoed: "The girl's head is an optical illusion. Looks like it's facing one way but it's also facing another way. Her profile has been covered by fake hair." A sixth noted: "The picture is of a 3.5-4 year old with baby hands, feet and legs. She isn't close to being mature enough to be the real Betty."
The comments weren't just about Lilibet, either, as her parents also garnered a lot of attention too! "There is something very disjointed about his body and MM is way too tall in comparison to him. To me this is like a collage," thought a seventh X user. "Meghan's elbow looks layered over Harry. Zoomed in, there's a faint white line around it. Reminds me of the fake Frogmore family photo," noted an eighth, as a ninth said: "Harry's head looks like it was placed in the photo. It seems back too far relative to the body." A tenth bluntly said: "Looks AI to me."
