Prince Harry is said to be "deeply uncomfortable" and "furious" after Meghan Markle shared a new Instagram post featuring their four-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet, according to multiple reports citing royal insiders. The Duchess of Sussex uploaded a video of Lilibet running across the couple's Montecito backyard on International Day of the Girl - a move that reportedly blindsided her husband and reignited long-standing tensions between the pair over their children's privacy.
The post, shared to Markle's personal account, showed Lilibet dressed in pink pajamas, sprinting through the grass as her mother offered a message of empowerment to young women worldwide. "To all the girls - this world is yours. Do everything you can to protect your rights, use your voice, support each other. We will do the same for you. It's your right and our responsibility," Markle wrote, signing off with "Go get 'em girl!" and a running emoji.
While the Duchess avoided showing her daughter's face directly, the footage revealed Lilibet's distinctive red hair - a detail that, insiders say, made her easily identifiable. "Harry's deeply uncomfortable," one source told Hollywood columnist Rob Shuter, who reported the story on Substack. "He spent years fighting tabloids and paparazzi to protect his kids. Now Meghan's the one putting them back in the spotlight."
The Duke of Sussex reportedly learned about the post only moments before it went live. "He found out almost when the rest of us did," the insider said. "He thinks she crossed a line."
Markle's friends, however, defended her intentions. Shuter reported that those close to the Duchess insisted she was not seeking publicity. "She sees it as celebrating her daughter and inspiring other girls," one source said.
Observers close to the couple described the dispute as part of an ongoing "clash of principles." A palace insider told RadarOnline.com, "She believes in visibility - he believes in protection. That tension has never really gone away."
The controversy comes after Harry spent years battling British tabloids over privacy breaches involving his family. Following the birth of their first child, Archie, in 2019, the Duke vowed to keep his children out of the public eye, referencing his mother Princess Diana's death while fleeing paparazzi. "I will always protect my family, and now I have a family to protect," he said at the time. "That is not me being paranoid, that is just me not wanting a repeat of the past."
Royal observers noted that Markle's renewed social media presence appears to coincide with the relaunch of her public brand. After returning to Instagram on January 1, the Duchess began sharing more personal glimpses into her family life - including scenes from Lilibet's fourth birthday at Disneyland - as she promoted her Netflix series With Love, Meghan and her new lifestyle venture As Ever.
A source previously told RadarOnline.com that such openness marks a major shift in strategy. "A while back, the idea of sharing anything about the kids would've been off the table - they've always been incredibly guarded when it comes to their private life," the source said. "But Meghan seems intent on breaking this rule for the sake of her self-promotion and brand."
Harry, now 40, has reportedly confronted his wife over the decision, emphasizing that public exposure was exactly what he fought to prevent. The rift, insiders say, underscores a deeper divide between the couple's approaches to fame - one rooted in visibility, the other in restraint.
