On Sunday, 8 March, Meghan took to Instagram to post a heartfelt message dedicated to her daughter, Princess Lilibet. The photo showed the duchess sitting on a sunny beach, cuddled up with her four year old daughter in what appeared to be a relaxed and affectionate moment between mother and child.
Alongside the image, Meghan wrote a short but emotional caption.
“For the woman she will one day be…
Happy International Women’s Day.”
At the end of the post, she credited the photographer as “Papa Sussex”, referring to Prince Harry, who took the picture.
Critics react to the “Papa Sussex” nickname
It did not take long for the caption to spark discussion online. Some critics quickly took issue with the nickname Meghan used for her husband, questioning the phrase “Papa Sussex”.
One person wrote, “Papa Sussex? Really??”
Another critic complained that the nickname sounded overly sentimental and unnecessary, while others described it as awkward or strange. A few people even questioned why Meghan did not simply refer to Harry as “dad” or “daddy” in the caption.
One comment read, “I wonder why she calls him Papa Sussex when he’s taking photos of their children. Will the kids actually call him Papa Sussex?”
The criticism quickly spread across social media, with some users suggesting that Meghan was intentionally emphasising the Sussex name again.
Fans step in to defend the couple
However, many supporters were quick to defend the couple and push back against the criticism.
Some pointed out that “Papa” is a very common way for British children to refer to their fathers, and that the addition of “Sussex” in the caption likely served a simple purpose. According to one fan, it could help distinguish Prince Harry from his own father, King Charles, whom Harry has also reportedly referred to as “Papa”.
Others argued that the reaction to the caption was unnecessary.
One supporter wrote that people who dislike Harry and Meghan could simply ignore news about them instead of filling comment sections with negativity. Another added that constant criticism of the couple seemed excessive when readers could simply focus on other royal news they prefer.
A final commenter summed up the mood among supporters by asking critics bluntly why the nickname bothered them so much.