Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK in August 2026 with their kids, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, to stay long-term and have reportedly been house-hunting in the Cotswolds.
Amid continuing unpleasantness with the British Royal Family and recent concerns over the children’s security, the Sussexes now face a new wave of backlash for pictures shared by Meghan’s best friend, Kelly McKee Zajfen.
Kelly recently visited the couple in the U.K. with her own child, and later shared photos of the trip, which drew severe criticism.
“Poor baby looks freaked out to be in the arms of that ghoul,” one netizen commented.
Meghan Markle’s best friend of 20 years shares photos of the Sussexes’ life in the UK
American philanthropist and entrepreneur Kelly McKee Zajfen co-founded Alliance of Moms, a nonprofit group supporting pregnant and parenting teens in the Los Angeles foster care system.
In 2025, Kelly revealed in an Instagram Q&A that she has known Meghan for nearly 20 years, and called the Duchess “the most amazing, nurturing, fun, loving human.”
She also said that Meghan attended her wedding to entertainment lawyer Julian Zajfen, with whom she has a daughter, Lily, and an infant son, Jack.
They had another son, George, who tragically passed away in 2022 from a coronavirus infection and viral meningitis.
Kelly brought Jack along for the UK trip, and afterward, wrote on Instagram, “There’s something so special about getting a taste of this magical place with my bestie, and having my sweet Jack along for the adventure.”
“I’ve loved seeing this sweet chapter through her eyes and daily adventures! Especially getting to experience so many little firsts with Jack by my side. Family time is just what the heart ordered. With a side of mashed peas and fish n chips! All of it has filled my heart.”
She shared multiple photos of herself and Jack, all the food they enjoyed, a lovely sunflower, and a herd of deer.
In one, she is seen with Meghan and her longtime friend, Markus Anderson, playing a board game in the backyard.
However, it was the pictures with Harry and Meghan specifically that left users furious.
The internet called Harry and Meghan “hypocrites” for posing with Jack
In one photo, Meghan is seen holding Jack on her lap, her arms around the baby’s torso.
“Open right hand: she is not used to babies. Lacks maternal instincts,” one user speculated about the moment. Another wrote, “She still doesn’t know how to hold a baby.”
A few dished out harsh criticism at Meghan for “showing” the face of her friend’s child when she refuses to show the face of her own kids.
In another snap, Harry lies on the floor, playing with a cheerful Jack. A third picture showed Lilibet interacting with Jack, her back to the camera, as Kelly looks on.
“Exploiting someone else’s child once more. Where are the two surrogate children?” one said, referring to the online rumor that Meghan did not carry Archie and Lilibet. Another wrote, “So it’s okay for them to show pictures with other people’s children.”
A third commented, “Here we go again. Meg using an innocent baby, whom she splashes all over the internet to remain relevant, but her kid’s? God forbid. Oh, the horror.”
Some pointed out that Kelly posted the pictures on her own profile, but others argued that Meghan “orchestrated” the sharing of those images.
“Meghan Markle’s BFF was ordered to give a predictable glimpse no one asked for inside the Sussexes’ new UK grift with staged photos,” a user wrote.
“The BFF that wasn’t invited to the wedding, even though total strangers were? Yeah, they must be so close,” another sarcastically said.
Meghan and Kelly had drifted apart before 2018 but reconnected because of George’s demise
Meghan and Kelly met through the Duchess’ ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, who is a friend of Kelly’s husband, Julian.
It’s true that Kelly did not attend Meghan Markle’s May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, but only because the two had fallen out of touch sometime before that. They reconnected when Meghan reached out in 2022 after Kelly’s son George’s passing.
“The second I heard her voice, it felt like I was right back with her,” Kelly said in a 2025 Harper’s Bazaar feature. Earlier that year, she had also appeared on With Love, Meghan.
“There’s not a day that goes by that she hasn’t checked in or I haven’t checked in. Someone can show up in a time of need or grief. And oftentimes, they don’t stay, or they’re only here for a short amount of time. But Meghan just always made herself available to all of us.”
In March 2026, Kelly told Hello! magazine that it was “a real privilege” to see Meghan parent her children: “She’s been a part of my journey with the loss of my son, and she hasn’t left my side since. It’s a beautiful friendship, and I’m really grateful to have her.”
Here we go again Meg using an innocent baby who she splashes all over the internet to remain relevant but her kid’s god forbid oh the horror pic.twitter.com/Yx9EF7AnOi
— Debbie Allport (@DebbieAllport3) September 23, 2026
While Meghan has reconciled with Kelly, who did not attend her wedding, she has now fallen out with the woman who was her chief bridesmaid on the special day: Canadian socialite Jessica Mulroney.
Although Mulroney insisted otherwise, their friendship appeared to cool after she became embroiled in a 2020 controversy involving accusations of “white privilege” from influencer Sasha Exeter.
— Utopian Turtletop (@UtopianTurtleT) September 23, 2026
“Jessica says now that she somewhat regrets becoming friends with Meghan,” an insider told the Daily Mail at the time, adding that the exposure that came with it impacted her marriage to Ben Mulroney.
“If she could go back, a part of her wishes she was never part of that wedding,” the insider added. “She really did consider Meghan family. But now she sees that whole time as a ‘dark cloud.’”
“Meghan is so desperate to be seen,” one user commented
