The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family 12: Jan 2026 -

[ACO]

I think that it strains the imagination to believe that four year old Lilibet saw her parents kissing and spontaneously breaking into a dance routine in their yard and decided to film it and then captured fairly high quality video of a serendipitous moment, which is what the post is trying to get people to believe.

Developmentally, four year olds are most interested in themselves. It would take a very unusual one to thoughtfully capture romantic moments for her parents.

All the children in my family are more likely to react to seeing their parents kissing by yelling “ewwww stop you’re embarrassing me” or similar, and it doesn’t really stop until they’re much older.

Maybe their family really is that different to everyone else’s, but I think people get tired of seeing things that feel so staged and contrived presented as reality.

I mean you created this scenario in your mind. They didn’t claim any of that. All she said was their daughter was holding the camera. Not complicated stuff.

Interesting that they allow their daughter enough access to phones that she knows how to shoot a video aged 4. Puts a lot of what they talk about into perspective.

I mean… you don’t think she knows what a phone looks like? I know folk don’t like the Sussexes but come on now.

Being concerned about online safety doesn’t mean children are denied awareness of technology.

Heck the Waleses talk about it too and also posted pictures their kids took of them. I very much recall Louis taking a picture of Kate in the woods posted on their socials.

Let’s relax. Lol

 

[Hallo girl]

Once again there is plenty chatter about Harry and Meghan, whether you believe or not, think it is appropriate or not, they are being talked about, it is a WIN for them.
To be honest all this constant flurry of stories, leaks, videos whatever it is, it all smacks of desperation.
There has been something nearly every day since the start of the year, some of it from sources but a constant drip feed of stuff.

 

[TLLK]

Really? It’s less than a minute long clip. You as a teacher never saw your young students hold a camera (that likely has a steady camera) for videos? A clip that btw isn’t event all that steady as it moved around and they almost go out of frame and it’s clearly edited.

I do think my niece is extraordinary but I don’t think this action is…

ACO- Yes, I can state that as a teacher, I have never seen my young students hold a real cell phone or real camera for videos. There are two reasons for this claim. First, I'm not sure what your state's mandates/policy are on elementary school students use of phones in state funded pre-schools and elementary schools, but the district I work for doesn't permit children to have them out during the school day. CA will ban their use on July 1, 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year. Second in my district, elementary students are not permitted to take photos/videos of other students on district property for privacy/security reasons. At this age level, it would be district employees or facutly who are permitted to take photos/videos.

While your niece and Lilibet are clearly to be exceptions , I can attest that the majority of the TK and Kindergarten students that I work with would struggle to take a minute long video like the one Lilibet is credited with. The majority of these early childhood students arriving in the 2025-2026 school year simply do not posses the hand strength, coordination and stamina to do so at this point in time. Why? Because here's been a noticeable decline in manual dexterity in this age group in many Western nations due to an increased use of hand held devices over the years.

Kids’ fine motor skills are declining—how screens and modern childhood shape growth

77% reported that fine motor skills like holding pencils, using scissors, and writing have become more challenging for young students.

www.yahoo.com

 

[TLLK]

I mean you created this scenario in your mind. They didn’t claim any of that. All she said was their daughter was holding the camera. Not complicated stuff.




I mean… you don’t think she knows what a phone looks like? I know folk don’t like the Sussexes but come on now.

Being concerned about online safety doesn’t mean children are denied awareness of technology.

Heck the Waleses talk about it too and also posted pictures their kids took of them. I very much recall Louis taking a picture of Kate in the woods posted on their socials.

Let’s relax. Lol

Let's remember that Prince Louis is three years older than his cousin. There's a significant difference in age and developmental skills ie fine motor. Personally, I wouldn't compare a pre-schooler and a primary school aged child as their development expectations are not comprable.

Quite clearly, Lilibet is exceptional in this particular fine motor skill when compared to her peers of a similar age.

 

[Hallo girl]

I mean you created this scenario in your mind. They didn’t claim any of that. All she said was their daughter was holding the camera. Not complicated stuff.




I mean… you don’t think she knows what a phone looks like? I know folk don’t like the Sussexes but come on now.

Being concerned about online safety doesn’t mean children are denied awareness of technology.

Heck the Waleses talk about it too and also posted pictures their kids took of them. I very much recall Louis taking a picture of Kate in the woods posted on their socials.

Let’s relax. Lol

I have no idea if Lily is capable of any of this but I am surprised how steady the camera/ phone is. I could not have done it, but maybe it was all set up on a tripod and Lily was told what button to press and stand back and do nothing else. I could visualise her standing on a box , then pressing the button. That would account for it being in focus and quite steady. Just saying...

 

[TLLK]

I have no idea if Lily is capable of any of this but I am surprised how steady the camera/ phone is. I could not have done it, but maybe it was all set up on a tripod and Lily was told what button to press and stand back and do nothing else. I could visualise her standing on a box , then pressing the button. That would account for it being in focus and quite steady. Just saying...

Now that scenario is a plausible explanation.

 

[ACO]

Let's remember that Prince Louis is three years older than his cousin. There's a significant difference in age and developmental skills ie fine motor. Personally, I wouldn't compare a pre-schooler and a primary school aged child as their development expectations are not comprable.

Quite clearly, Lilibet is exceptional in this particular fine motor skill when compared to her peers of a similar age.

I’m not comparing the children. I’m comparing the reaction to parents being concerned of media security and also showing the children technology.

I doubt when he took that picture at age 6 was the very first time he held a phone or camera. So not sure why it’s some crazy thing for Lili.

I have no idea if Lily is capable of any of this but I am surprised how steady the camera/ phone is. I could not have done it, but maybe it was all set up on a tripod and Lily was told what button to press and stand back and do nothing else. I could visualise her standing on a box , then pressing the button. That would account for it being in focus and quite steady. Just saying...

It could be as simple as she saw them setting up the camera and asked to hold it. The camera wasn’t that steady. It moved around plenty and there was a clear edit. Also many have settings to help with motion. I know mine does.

Regardless I don’t see it as some extraordinary thing to hold a camera. But to each their own.

 

[Marengo]

Maybe Princess Lilibeth pushed the ´on´ button while the camera was on a statif? The Sussexes live in their own truth as they claimed themselves, so who knows what actually happened.

I am not sure what the clip is supposed to achieve. The reason the duchess seems so disliked is partly to blame on her performative style. Everything she does and says seems calculated. Every sigh, every tilt of the head, every whisper... It all feels studied, inauthentic and performative. She always seems very self aware. To make matters worse, the whole thing is in a style of social media that was popular a decade ago. Not today.

The Duchess especially has been so over-exposed this year that any reliable PR firm would advise her to take a break from pursuing the media attention. She has shown her true self and told her truth for years now, the public simply does not like what they see. Why keep on beating a dead horse by frolicking around for yet another performative video?

 

[TLLK]

I’m not comparing the children. I’m comparing the reaction to parents being concerned of media security and also showing the children technology.

I doubt when he took that picture at age 6 was the very first time he held a phone or camera. So not sure why it’s some crazy thing for Lili.



It could be as simple as she saw them setting up the camera and asked to hold it. The camera wasn’t that steady. It moved around plenty and there was a clear edit. Also many have settings to help with motion. I know mine does.

Regardless I don’t see it as some extraordinary thing to hold a camera. But to each their own.

Thank you for clarifying because your previous sentence did appear to compare the cousins. Like you, I don't know when Prince Louis first held a camera or took a photo, but IMO it is reasonable that a six year old would be considered mature enough to be responsible with a camera. The Wales have already stated that their three children don't have phones and it appears that they don't share their own with their kids.

 

[yukari]

I think that it strains the imagination to believe that four year old Lilibet saw her parents kissing and spontaneously breaking into a dance routine in their yard and decided to film it and then captured fairly high quality video of a serendipitous moment, which is what the post is trying to get people to believe.

(...)

I get the impression that Meghan is building Lili's (social) media persona. She's surely more prominent than Archie in her Instagram. It's reported that Meghan is close to the Kadarshians, so maybe she's taking some notes on what Kim has been doing to North West and applying to her own daughter.

Harry seems to still hope that his children have a chance to be working royals (which was he said as his reason to give them the Prince/as title, so they can if they want it in the future), but Meghan might recognise that those doors are closed so she's preparing the way for her children. If that is the case, I wish her the best, particularly for Lili because the world (especially social media) is crueler to women.

 

[HRHHermione]

I mean you created this scenario in your mind. They didn’t claim any of that. All she said was their daughter was holding the camera. Not complicated stuff.

I think all social media posts by influencers are designed to tell a story. What story do you think Meghan was trying to tell her audience with this post if you disagree with my interpretation?

 

[pieve]

I get the impression that Meghan is building Lili's (social) media persona. She's surely more prominent than Archie in her Instagram. It's reported that Meghan is close to the Kadarshians, so maybe she's taking some notes on what Kim has been doing to North West and applying to her own daughter.

Harry seems to still hope that his children have a chance to be working royals (which was he said as his reason to give them the Prince/as title, so they can if they want it in the future), but Meghan might recognise that those doors are closed so she's preparing the way for her children. If that is the case, I wish her the best, particularly for Lili because the world (especially social media) is crueler to women.

They stepped back from their royal duties and from the United Kingdom, and no longer represent the British monarchy. Yet, immediately after the Queen's death, they bestowed upon their children the titles of prince and princess, to which they were undoubtedly entitled.
But why give them the choice of whether or not to represent the royal family?

This family that drove Meghan to the brink of suicide, this racist family, this life under the constant scrutiny of others in which Harry was trapped, unknowingly (the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfrey). Let's not forget all the negative things the Sussexes have said and written about the royal family and their "escape to freedom" in California.

And they want their children to be part of this world of suffering later in life? They are constantly contradicting themselves.

It is interesting to compare this behavior with that of Princess Anne and Prince Edward and the choices they made for their children.

 

[Asteria12]

Its pretty obvious Meghan was just following that well-worn parental track of bragging about how exceptional her daughter is!

 

[pieve]

I think all social media posts by influencers are designed to tell a story. What story do you think Meghan was trying to tell her audience with this post if you disagree with my interpretation?

That's the question we need to ask ourselves, because for me, whether Lilibet filmed the scene or not isn't the most important thing.
However, what seems to matter to her mother is proving to us that she and Harry are still in love, given the numerous rumors circulating about the strength of their relationship.

Furthermore, it would seem she made a slight miscalculation when she said, "When 2026 looks so much like 2016... you had to be there."
Now, from January to June 2016, she was living with Cory Vitiello, who posted photos of Meghan on his Instagram account until June. The Sussexes have stated that they met during the summer of 2016. Therefore, this video was published too early to be consistent. But that's just a detail.

The other objective was also to maintain media attention on Meghan. Mission accomplished.

 

[Mbruno]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2026/01/16/23/105587343-15471923-image-m-5_1768605286039.jpg

This photo shows a man and a woman, aged 41 and 44 respectively, but they're acting like teenagers. They want us to believe they're in love, but frankly, what's the point? What business is it of ours?

They lack class and don't have the bearing of a British duke and duchess.

The photo is distasteful and really unbecoming of a British prince and princess.

 

[Lee-Z]

imo the clip is fine for what it is; i doubt they see themselves as royals in the traditional sense, but rather want to be just seen as 'popular' and 'loved', and clips like these are trying to achieve that.
Thing with 'popular' and 'loved' though is that you can't 'make it happen' just because you want it.

i can see their daughter filming it, with or without a bit of help, but the fact they mentiom it, is jmo just there because of the recent photo P.Louis took of his mom.

 

[Diarist]

This strikes me as so very sad - I remember how happy I was when Harry [had apparently!] found a suitable wife. I so wanted all to be well - the sight of poor Harry following his mother's coffin deeply affected me.
I live very close to Windsor and how well I remember Harry and Meghan's wedding day. The weather was wonderful - very sunny and warm [remember that in the UK, the weather can be very unpredictable - the previous week the Royal Windsor Horse Show had taken place and the weather had been wonderful as well and we just hoped the good weather would last.] On the day, there was massive crowds, all rejoicing...

Leading up to the wedding there had been all sorts of negative rumours - tiara rows etc which I thought were just that - rumours And then after the wedding things began to 'slip a bit' and then 'slip a lot'. As the weeks turned into months, matters did not look as promising as I had thought. It then occurred to me that Meghan had little understanding of what being 'royal' meant'. She seemed to be confusing 'royalty' with 'celebrity'. I think that the couple's first trip abroad was the visit to Soho House in the Netherlands for its opening {IIRC} and from that moment on, things seemed to go downhill -

Now nearly eight years on, Meghan seems to be acting like a Kardashian. Harry should have guided her gently in the 'royal way' but was not able to do so - perhaps he was too overawed by his wife.

We are now left with the not particularly edifying spectacle of Meghan apparently doing her best to grab every opportunity to publicise herself. It's hardly what I would term as the 'privacy' the couple wanted.

And next week having we got the equally unedifying spectacle of Harry in the High Court. That is not the 'royal way'.

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

The photo is distasteful and really unbecoming of a British prince and princess.

Very tacky

 

[Kenya]

i doubt they see themselves as royals in the traditional sense, but rather want to be just seen as 'popular' and 'loved', and clips like these are trying to achieve that.

It's clear they don't view themselves as royal in the way they should behave or comport themselves (otherwise, that twerking video would've remained a fun memory between themselves). They view themselves as royal only in the level of importance (and security!) to which they believe they are entitled.

 

[Diarist]

It's clear they don't view themselves as royal in the way they should behave or comport themselves (otherwise, that twerking video would've remained a fun memory between themselves). They view themselves as royal only in the level of importance (and security!) to which they believe they are entitled.

And the way Meghan clings to her royal title!

 

[Lord-of-the-Manor]

I certainly think Lilibet and Archie are being groomed for a life as social media influencers. Under the current king, we're not going to see any changes to titles, but I don't think William will allow 'Princess Lilibet' to work alongside her mother on a cooking show.

Daily Mail: Meghan Markle posts heartwarming videos of Lilibet and Archie splashing in the pool and feeding animals at the zoo

 

[Diarist]

Monday's [today's] newspapers - tabloid and non-tabloid - are just appearing and are all reporting that Harry has now arrived in London in preparation for his High Court action against Associated Newspapers later this week.

It is also reported that Harry proposes to leave at the end of the week. Apparently there is no chance that he will encounter his father and brother as the King is in Scotland and William and Kate have engagements there as well. Perhaps just as well....

The better papers are again mentioning that the legal costs are estimated at £23 million.....

Words fail me....

To me there are three things that stand out about Harry:

- He is very poorly advised.

- He seems to have absolutely no idea of the value of money...

- Having read through the Times and the Telegraph's recent articles about Harry, he seems to think that just because he does not like or agree with something, it must therefore automatically be actionable... [the lawyers must be rubbing their hands with glee ....]

I am afraid that this is going to offend some forum members and I must therefore offer an apology in advance, but I have to say that although I absolutely detest the concept of phone hacking, which is so obviously wrong, most of the Claimants in the forthcoming legal action have over the years done everything they can to chase publicity.... Elton John and his husband? They frequently sell stories to Hello magazine. Liz Hurley? She almost continuously does everything she can to publicise herself and her swimsuits and get in the press. I don't recognise the other 'celebrity' names ... but to me, none has suffered what I term a serious loss of privacy...

Baroness Lawrence is not a celebrity of course - tragically her beloved son was murdered in a racist attack but it was the Daily Mail who championed her cause when others were not interested. and now she is suing them.

Please do not think I am condoning the hacking of people's phones - I am certainly not but with all that is going on in the world at the moment, I think Harry's legal action is not a good idea. He is not without fault himself when it comes to invasions of privacy, And it is not as though he has always been a model of rectitude over the dissemination of false information...

I get it that Harry is still processing his grief over the death of his mother, but English 'paps' were not involved in the fatal car chase that claimed Diana's life and the British Press are now controlled with how they go about their investigations...

I just wish Harry would stop litigating. You can't have everything. He should rejoice in all his huge advantages - He is married to the woman of his dreams, he has two lovely children and lives in a wonderful home in California. He's got money [and would have even more if he would just stop spending it on futile law suits...

Oh Harry ....


-

 

[TLLK]

Monday's [today's] newspapers - tabloid and non-tabloid - are just appearing and are all reporting that Harry has now arrived in London in preparation for his High Court action against Associated Newspapers later this week.

It is also reported that Harry proposes to leave at the end of the week. Apparently there is no chance that he will encounter his father and brother as the King is in Scotland and William and Kate have engagements there as well. Perhaps just as well....

The better papers are again mentioning that the legal costs are estimated at £23 million.....

Words fail me....

To me there are three things that stand out about Harry:

- He is very poorly advised.

- He seems to have absolutely no idea of the value of money...

- Having read through the Times and the Telegraph's recent articles about Harry, he seems to think that just because he does not like or agree with something, it must therefore automatically be actionable... [the lawyers must be rubbing their hands with glee ....]

I am afraid that this is going to offend some forum members and I must therefore offer an apology in advance, but I have to say that although I absolutely detest the concept of phone hacking, which is so obviously wrong, most of the Claimants in the forthcoming legal action have over the years done everything they can to chase publicity.... Elton John and his husband? They frequently sell stories to Hello magazine. Liz Hurley? She almost continuously does everything she can to publicise herself and her swimsuits and get in the press. I don't recognise the other 'celebrity' names ... but to me, none has suffered what I term a serious loss of privacy...

Baroness Lawrence is not a celebrity of course - tragically her beloved son was murdered in a racist attack but it was the Daily Mail who championed her cause when others were not interested. and now she is suing them.

Please do not think I am condoning the hacking of people's phones - I am certainly not but with all that is going on in the world at the moment, I think Harry's legal action is not a good idea. He is not without fault himself when it comes to invasions of privacy, And it is not as though he has always been a model of rectitude over the dissemination of false information...

I get it that Harry is still processing his grief over the death of his mother, but English 'paps' were not involved in the fatal car chase that claimed Diana's life and the British Press are now controlled with how they go about their investigations...

I just wish Harry would stop litigating. You can't have everything. He should rejoice in all his huge advantages - He is married to the woman of his dreams, he has two lovely children and lives in a wonderful home in California. He's got money [and would have even more if he would just stop spending it on futile law suits...

Oh Harry ....


-

A couple of pages ago, I expressed my wish that Harry would finally be content with his life. However his actions ie: the constant lawsuits are not the ones of a man that it truly aware and appreciative of all the advantages that he has in life.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I would like ANL and Gavin Burrows' accusations that the Duke of Sussex and his co-claimants had their teams harass, threaten, bribe and burglarize witnesses, forge documents and plant bogus news stories to be duly investigated, whether by the High Court or by the police.

If the accusations are false, then the claimants and their team should not have to continue with the shadow on their reputations.

But if the accusations are true, then the victims of the burglary, intimidation, fraud, etc. deserve justice.

Unfortunately, the status of the Duke of Sussex and his famous co-claimants may be a damper on any potential investigation.

 

[MissByrd]

I certainly think Lilibet and Archie are being groomed for a life as social media influencers. Under the current king, we're not going to see any changes to titles, but I don't think William will allow 'Princess Lilibet' to work alongside her mother on a cooking show.

Daily Mail: Meghan Markle posts heartwarming videos of Lilibet and Archie splashing in the pool and feeding animals at the zoo

Where are the “heartwarming videos”?

 

[TLLK]

Where are the “heartwarming videos”?

I believe that the videos are on her social media account.

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

I get the impression that Meghan is building Lili's (social) media persona. She's surely more prominent than Archie in her Instagram. It's reported that Meghan is close to the Kadarshians, so maybe she's taking some notes on what Kim has been doing to North West and applying to her own daughter.

Harry seems to still hope that his children have a chance to be working royals (which was he said as his reason to give them the Prince/as title, so they can if they want it in the future), but Meghan might recognise that those doors are closed so she's preparing the way for her children. If that is the case, I wish her the best, particularly for Lili because the world (especially social media) is crueler to women.

Surely, even Harry should understand that for anyone - no matter if it is Lili, Archie, Zara, Beatrice, Louise, or even Harry himself - that no one becomes a working royal unless the reigning monarch wants them to be. It’s not a choice an individual gets to make unless invited.
And I think that like the proverbial snowball in you-know-where, there is absolutely no way Charles nor William will invite Harry’s children nor Harry to be working royals. Ever. As you said, hopefully Meghan sees that.
And for the innocent children - they are being brought up as Americans in the US and unless things dramatically change, there would be little context and even less understanding they could have about representing the royal family. Unfortunately, their own father doesn’t seem to understand it well enough to be able to educate them when they are older. I just feel sorry for these little kids that their only extended family is their maternal grandmother when there are many other relatives - on both sides of the family, including Doria’s family who helped Meghan when she was younger- who could be a part of their lives.

 

[pieve]

I would like ANL and Gavin Burrows' accusations that the Duke of Sussex and his co-claimants had their teams harass, threaten, bribe and burglarize witnesses, forge documents and plant bogus news stories to be duly investigated, whether by the High Court or by the police.

If the accusations are false, then the claimants and their team should not have to continue with the shadow on their reputations.

But if the accusations are true, then the victims of the burglary, intimidation, fraud, etc. deserve justice.

Unfortunately, the status of the Duke of Sussex and his famous co-claimants may be a damper on any potential investigation.

Justice must be impartial and not influenced by the notoriety of those involved.
In my country, a former president of the republic was imprisoned (for only three weeks). But another trial awaits him.

In Prince Harry's case, there are allegations of perjury, witness intimidation, not to mention that one of them is so afraid for his life that he refuses to reveal his whereabouts: these are extremely serious accusations.
If proven, the lawyers could be disbarred and the entire case could collapse.

This is a real legal drama, not sensational fiction, and the stakes are enormous: Harry's reputation and millions of pounds in damages are at risk. I think this trial will be more interesting to follow than the one Harry brought against the Mirror.

 

[iceflower]

The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the High Court in London this morning:


** gettyimages gallery **

https://twitter.com/x/status/2013192085269004778

 

[Diarist]

Thank You Iceflower for this post. A NINE WEEK trial - my goodness!

Interesting video showing that Harry is being accorded the privilege of using a back [private] entrance and that his car is allowed to drop him right by the private entrance. Nobody else is entitled to this. Harry just cannot see how privileged he is - no wonder he has developed the way he has ....

I can well see why the King and the Prince and Princess of Wales have removed themselves to Scotland. They are well out of it in my opinion.

Since Harry is now living the life of a celebrity rather than a life of service to the nation, I really think that the King needs to review again Harry's title.