Years after stepping away from royal life and settling into a California routine, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to draw the public’s attention with ease. This time, it wasn’t a speech, interview, or public appearance that set critics off—it was a family holiday photo meant to capture a warm and cozy moment.
But Markle’s dress was saying something else.
The images, shared by Archewell Philanthropies, showed the couple alongside their two children in a mix of cozy and coordinated looks, with winter tones and gentle smiles.
Instead of suggesting a calm family moment, one particular outdoor shot, taken on a small wooden bridge surrounded by what resembles a forest, had people wondering what the Duchess of Sussex was thinking.
In that image, Markle wore a cream dress that some viewers described as sheer and see-through, while Harry’s tousled hair struck critics as unpolished and messy, as he did not comb his hair before the shoot.
Instead of focusing on the seasonal message or the family togetherness, commentary centered on the appropriateness of Markle’s dress, Harry’s grooming choices, and whether the couple’s overall look felt intentional or careless.
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— I’m Not That Short (@SheBleedsHipHop) December 24, 2025
One Extra reader who zeroed in blatantly asked, “What’s on Harry’s head?”
A second shifted attention to Markle, as they sarcastically posted, “Megs staying classy as ever with a see through dress for a Christmas card.”
Another especially heated response read, “Ummm you do notice that she’s posing with a see thru dress & no underwear with children? THIS pic is what this [lady] picks out and sells to gossip rags? Harry’s butt showing too? How disgusting!”
The remarks got worse, as the proud parents were criticized for protecting their son and daughter’s innocence by hiding their faces with their hands.
“Wow this is awful. The photoshop blur, the child’s hair not brushed, she even looks scared of her mother, she’s not holding her hands back, the see thru dress with no underwear and why post pictures of your children at all if not showing their faces? They look like props.”
“OMG can this family look any more dirty and disheveled? Harry looks like he just woke up. Meghan wearing a see thru dress. So classy. Can some one please brush Lillis hair,” one tweeted.
Notably, the backlash focused almost entirely on that single image, despite the holiday set including other photos that generated little to no criticism.
An additional picture was a softer family portrait with coordinated white and blue outfits. This and the nonprofit card circulated quietly, according to Page Six, suggesting that outrage often hinges on one frame on social media rather than the broader context of their holiday greetings.
For longtime watchers of the couple, the moment felt familiar.
Markle and Harry have routinely been scrutinized for everything from fashion to moving from under the late Queen Elizabeth’s circle to something as simple as seating arrangements. Earlier this year, their appearance at a World Series game sparked chatter that had less to do with baseball and more to do with celebrity hierarchy, including where legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax was seated in relation to them. Even then, the conversation wasn’t about their behavior, but about what their presence symbolized.
Still, support for Markle remains steady in some corners.
Friends like Chrissy Teigen have publicly praised her friend, calling her strong, kind, and unfairly targeted. Teigen framed the backlash as projection rather than reality, noting that people often read intention into moments that are simply lived. Her defense resonated with fans who see the couple’s holiday photo not as provocation, but as an ordinary family snapshot magnified by fame.
That split reaction — outrage on one side, empathy on the other — has become the defining feature of Markle and Harry’s public life. The same image that drew harsh criticism also reinforced why they remain such a lightning rod: every detail is examined, every choice debated, every holiday wish weighed for meaning.
In the end, the uproar over the see-through dress and bed hair says less about a single photo and more about the enduring appetite to critique this couple.
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