Duchess of Sussex Celebrates Daughter’s Birthday with Bizarre Instagram Throwback
In a move that left even die-hard royal watchers stunned, Meghan Markle—Duchess of Sussex—posted a video to Instagram of herself twerking in the hospital delivery room while nine months pregnant. The video, intended to celebrate her daughter Lilibet’s fourth birthday, quickly set social media ablaze for all the wrong reasons.
Set to the viral TikTok hit “Baby Mama Dance”, the clip shows Markle, 43, squatting and hip-thrusting in a hospital gown while her husband, Prince Harry, awkwardly joins in. The Duchess explained in the caption that her daughter was a week overdue, and dancing was their “last resort” to help induce labor.
“When spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work—there was only one thing left to do!” Meghan wrote. The footage, she added, was a joyful memory of “the day our beautiful girl came into our lives.”
Online Reaction: Cringe, Confusion, and Royal Recoil
While some praised the couple’s candidness, the overwhelming reaction online was one of secondhand embarrassment. Critics questioned why such a deeply personal (and frankly awkward) moment needed to be shared with the world.
“The internet didn’t need this,” one user wrote. “There’s TMI, and then there’s whatever this is.”
Even supporters of the couple seemed puzzled. “We get it—you want to be relatable. But this is a royal family, not a reality show audition,” another comment read.
Medical Context? Sure. But Still Cringe.
While the NHS does support physical activity during late pregnancy—citing walking, dancing, and squatting as helpful for initiating labor—there is no official endorsement for the Baby Mama Dance as a labor-inducing technique. The line between light-hearted and laughable seems to have been thoroughly crossed.
Prince Harry’s Contradiction?
Adding to the spectacle is Prince Harry’s recent public stance against social media. In a BBC interview, the Duke of Sussex stated that “life is better off social media.” Yet, here he is—in a hospital, dancing in a viral video, viewed by millions.
Maybe it’s time to take his own advice.
Conclusion: A Birthday Message or a Publicity Misfire?
Markle’s attempt at relatability might have backfired. While it’s clear the couple wanted to share a joyful moment in their family’s history, the format—and the content—left many cringing instead of celebrating.
As the royal couple continues to redefine what it means to be modern aristocracy, one thing is certain: there are still boundaries between real life and reality TV—and some of them, perhaps, are best left intact.
