Meghan Markle Branded 'Ghoulish' After 'Grinning' Reflection Is Spotted in Gloria Steinem Obit Photo With Son Archie
Meghan Markle was branded 'ghoulish' by critics for grinning while taking a photo for her Gloria Steinem obit.
Sept. 4 2026, Published 3:18 p.m. ET
Meghan Markle was branded "ghoulish" after eagle-eyed critics spotted what appeared to be her "grinning" reflection in a framed photo she shared as part of her tribute to late feminist icon Gloria Steinem, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The snapshot showed Steinem, who died on Wednesday, September 2, at age 92, sitting on a patio and sweetly reaching over her shoulder to place a hand on Markle's son Archie's back. The 45-year-old Duchess kept the then-toddler's face under wraps by covering it with a white heart emoji.
Meghan Markle Focused Gloria Steinem Obit on Her Experiences With Feminist Icon
Meghan Markle shared a photo with Gloria Steinem that appeared to be taken in the feminist icon's home.
The picture was one of three photos Markle shared in a Thursday, September 3, Instagram post after the death was announced.
"Celebrating the life and legacy of my friend and mentor, Gloria Steinem," she captioned the update.
The former actress said that after she and her husband, Prince Harry, quit the royal family in 2020 to move to the U.S., "Publicly, we did interviews together, called young voters to encourage them to have their voices heard...and attended award ceremonies" with her good pal "Glo."
Markle then shared, "But privately, she was even better than you would imagine, spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit."
Critics Call Out Meghan Markle Over Reflection
Critics noticed smiling Meghan Markle taking the picture for Gloria Steinem's obit post.
Critics on X immediately jumped on Markle for seemingly smiling in the silver metal photo frame.
"Look into the frame of the picture. You can see Meghan Markle using her phone, grinning as she takes the photo," one user shared.
"Meghan Markle is a ghoulish psycho opportunist. That ever-present smirk she has when someone dies is one of the creepiest things ever seen," a second person observed.
"The glee of knowing she’s going to make it all about her," a third user snarked about Markle's apparent grin.
"Smiling when getting an obituary post together and making it about herself. What a psycho," a fourth person claimed.
Critics Questioned If Photo Was Taken in Montecito or Cotswolds Rental
Other critics questioned if Meghan Markle brought the photo with her to England.
Others were shocked that Markle had the photo on hand after she, Harry, and their children reportedly moved to the U.K., although no photographs have emerged yet showing them in Britain.
"Good that she remembered to pack that particular photo," a fifth person wrote, noting that it was curious that the item ended up in the belongings packed for the move, despite the Sussexes not having a house of their own yet and reportedly staying at a wealthy friend's place for the time being.
A sixth person asked, "So she took this framed pic to the Cotswolds to put on the shelf of a rental. When they’re ‘keeping the house in Montecito,’ I don’t think so. Is she still in California?"
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Still Undercover More Than a Week After U.K. 'Arrival'
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still haven't been seen in the UK nine days after their alleged arrival.
Video emerged on August 26 of a large private plane reportedly carrying the couple and their children as they arrived at Birmingham's airport.
Later, three blacked-out SUVs were photographed driving away in close security formation from the tarmac, although no snapshots ever emerged of the family and their entourage deplaning the aircraft and getting into the vehicles.
Reports first surfaced on August 19 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were suddenly moving back to the U.K. — the country they fled after leaving life as working royals in 2020.
There have still been no public sightings of the Sussexes, although they have reportedly enrolled Archie, 7, and his sister, Lilibet, 5, in a private prep school in the Cotswolds for the upcoming school year.
