Can we please stop mum-shaming Meghan Markle?
It's 2019.


It's 2019.
Sure, being a royal has its advantages – the fashion, the princes, the tiaras, the castles – but it definitely also has its drawbacks, from the end of privacy to the dreaded rumour mill.
No one knows this more than Meghan Markle.
The now Duchess of Sussex has had a difficult start to royal life, with everything from her fashion choices to her decisions regarding the upbringing of baby Archie never failing to divide the public and cause viral news.
The former Suits actress has endured an endless stream of online bullying since becoming a royal, with the latest focusing on how she is raising her newborn baby.
Yes, Meghan Markle is getting mum-shamed, and it’s not OK.
The issue in question that people are finding fault with is that Meghan gets time off every now and again, with the Duchess of Sussex flying off to New York this weekend to support her friend Serena Williams at the US Open, leaving her husband Prince Harry at home with their four-month-old son baby Archie.
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Yes, Meghan is getting called a bad mother for leaving her son with his dad for a couple of days. And if you thought it couldn't sound more preposterous, Prince Harry has been on numerous trips since his son's birth, and hasn't had anywhere near as much criticism.
And this isn't the first time Meghan has been shamed for her parenting, with the 38-year-old coming under fire earlier this year for how she holds baby Archie.
Meghan and Archie joined sister-in-law Kate Middleton and her three children over the summer, as they cheered on the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge at a charity polo match. But the event took a turn when the public started dissecting the images, shaming Meghan and even her mother Doria Ragland over how the Duchess holds her child.
Calling the way Meghan holds her son out as ‘scary’, twitter users posted messages claiming that it looks like Archie is about to be dropped.
‘The poor Archie’s left arm is being held up by Meghan Markle’s left hand,’ one twitter user posted. ‘Spreading both legs, & Archie’s shoulders are treated like a cushion for her left arm for a long time.’
Then going on to drag Doria Ragland, the post continued: ‘Meghan Markle’s mother was supposed to teach Meghan how to hold a baby, including during prenatal care.’
Isn’t it time we stopped mum-shaming each other?

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.
In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.
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