Archie and Lilibet Join Meghan and Harry for Thanksgiving Volunteering Event in LA

It was meant to be a heartwarming holiday photo op — until the internet took one look and tore it apart.

In a rare move, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle brought both of their children — Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four — to a Thanksgiving charity event in Los Angeles, turning what should have been a low-key act of service into prime internet fodder.

Young Royals Join the Kitchen Line

On November 26, the Sussexes participated in a community outreach at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA), a nonprofit where volunteers prepare meals for those facing food insecurity.

The event, organized through the Archewell Foundation, was meant to highlight their ongoing commitment to service — this time as a family unit.

Photos released from the event showed Archie and Lilibet helping alongside their parents. "Harry and Meghan have been giving back since they were children and now they are teaching their kids to give back ❤️❤️❤️," one supporter cheered on Instagram.

Meghan's Hair and Cartier Bracelet Spark a Firestorm

While many praised the initiative, the family's participation sparked a wave of reactions on social media, particularly focusing on visual details from the photos. Meghan, seen helping prepare food, wore her hair down during the activity.

This prompted several hygiene-related critiques, with one posting, "No hair net, very unsanitary!" and another adding, "It's the long hair not pulled back for me. 🤢🤢Also, don't forget your Cartier bracelet whilst serving people in need."

Another remarked, "Meghan's hair should be tied back when preparing food for others but good on them for doing it." One questioned, "Why is her hair not up?" while another observed, "The hat and hair is weird. She's the only one in a different hat and her hair not tied back."

What began as a good deed had quickly turned into a hygiene debate — with royal watchers offering unsolicited advice in every direction.

'There Is No Way That Is a 4-Year-Old': Lilibet's Height Stuns Observers

Then came the next wave: scrutiny of young Lilibet's appearance, with many questioning her height, size, and hair — even comparing her to Archie.

"Lilly is a pretty big girl for being 4 yrs old. Archie looks smaller than her," one person wrote. Another posed, "That redhead girl is Lilibet? A four year old girl? Wow based on the 3rd slide she's as tall as girls twice her age."

The scrutiny didn't stop there. One Redditor expressed, "There is no way that is a 4 year old," while another added, "Weird how the kid goes from ginger to blonde."

A different person commented, "My daughter at 4 years old did not have long hair like that that is strange !!!" Another added, "Lily is pretty big for 4 yrs. taller than her brother."

Accusations of Photo Fakery Enter the Chat

Things took a turn as viewers began dissecting the photos themselves, with some suggesting that the images were digitally manipulated.

"Is this kid photoshopped in?" one person questioned. "The braids look completely different and the weird angle of the plaid dress as the kid leans on the counter - like its way off - unless that kid has an unusually long torso (like guiness record long) and there is some weird lighting around the child too and the hand-clasping with Meghan looks way off and the head appears to be on backwards too."

The family outing had spiraled from a charitable cause into an online conspiracy buffet, with theories gaining traction by the hour. And it wasn't the first time this year that Archie and Lilibet have been thrust into the spotlight.

A Labor Day playlist, children in matching headphones, and a clapperboard cameo — Meghan Markle's latest Instagram post offered an unusually candid look at family life behind the scenes of her Netflix series.

In a surprise move that left royal watchers reeling, Meghan Markle stunned the public over Labor Day weekend with a jaw-dropping Instagram post that offered a candid, never-before-seen glimpse of her fiercely protected family life.

The Duchess of Sussex, long known for keeping her children out of the spotlight, shared a series of candid photographs from the filming of Season 2 of her Netflix lifestyle series, "With Love, Meghan." Among the production shots and set scenery were three images featuring Archie and Lilibet, images that represent one of the most open glimpses yet into the Sussexes' family dynamic.

In one image, the young siblings are captured from behind, perched in front of a production monitor, each wearing black headphones as they observe the action on set. Their vibrant red hair, a trait inherited from Prince Harry, glows in the daylight, their small figures intent and absorbed in the scene before them.

A Labor Day Surprise: Archie and Lilibet Steal the Scene

Another photo shows little Lilibet seated solo in a director's chair, her tiny frame swallowed by the black leather seat, her pale pink jumper and navy polka-dot pants a picture of innocent charm, as she looks away from the camera, her face obscured.

A third image features Archie, mid-action, gripping a clapperboard used to mark scenes during filming. His face is deliberately hidden behind a playful heart emoji. The board is marked with a shooting date of November 1, 2024.

The caption accompanying the carousel post read, "Filming season two of 'With Love, Meghan' was more fun than you can imagine. Part of how we kept the vibe alive? Music. Between set ups [sic] I would play a song from my phone, and today I wanted to share some of the favorites I kept on rotation! Add them to your playlist, press shuffle, and enjoy! Happy Labor Day weekend! Work hard, play hard 🎶."

The "Perfectly Curated" Chaos Behind the Scenes

Season 2 of "With Love, Meghan" picks up where the first left off. The first season delved into Meghan's love for cooking, gardening, and home entertaining — but one thing the cameras didn't capture? The interior of the couple's lavish Montecito mansion.

Instead, production was carefully confined to the orchard, chicken coop, and other scenic outdoor spaces near their home. It was a calculated move that gave Meghan control without full exposure.

Discussing the first season in a March 2025 interview, Meghan confessed, "Archie did the [filming clapboard]! Sweet moments. They would also come with my husband and visit me on-set, and I loved that my children were able to watch me working and see the balance of that and understand what Mama does and is working to create and share. It was really special because up until then, they hadn't seen me at work."

The images marked a notable shift from the Sussexes' usual media strategy, offering a rare peek into their closely guarded family life. They arrive months after a very different kind of social media moment — one that drew no shortage of criticism and fueled fresh speculation about the Duchess's public image.

Meghan's Invictus Return Sparked a Firestorm of Criticism

Earlier this year, Meghan faced a wave of unexpected backlash — not for posting photos of her children, but for what she brought home from her trip to Canada during the Invictus Games.

After spending five days supporting Prince Harry at the event, Meghan flew back to California early and expressed her joy about being back in California with her and Prince Harry's children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Meanwhile, Harry remained in Canada for events leading up to the Invictus Games closing ceremony.

The Duchess shared a light-hearted Instagram Story showcasing mementos she brought back for Archie and Lilibet. "A taste of Canada and The Invictus Games for our little ones! Cheering you on from home!" read the text overlay as she showed off personalized sports jerseys, snacks, and fruit packed in her luggage.

Her post didn't sit well with some online users who had questions about her kids' social lives and why she transported food from one country to another. One person sarcastically remarked, "Fancy taking home stale food to your children because you didn’t want them enjoying the ‘family orientated’ [sic] Invictus Games."

Another surprised user exclaimed, "Imagine all that manky food in her luggage!!!" The discussion continued, with one comment suggesting, "Don't these children go anywhere? They just live inside the four walls. No contact with other children or the outside world?"

Another person who seemed puzzled, asked, "What kids, why didn't they get to go to the games? Huh?" A different user expressed sympathy for the Sussex children, "And I feel sorry for those kids, they never get to go anywhere."

Meanwhile, someone else had a more supportive take on Meghan Markle's brief appearance at the event, "It was fun to be able to at least spend a little bit of time supporting her husband and supporting the veterans who were working so hard. Bet she missed their kiddos❤️."

Still, one person with a different view bluntly stated, "She should not be there anyway." Amid the criticism, one person took a more positive approach, saying, "Good for her and the children."

From a soft-focus director's chair and clapperboard moment to fruit-packed backlash and Valentine's Day speculation, Meghan remains one of the most closely watched and hotly debated public figures of our time.