What people slamming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Christmas photo need to remember.

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When Prince William and Duchess Catherine and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their Christmas Card photos, people have very different reactions to the two sets of royals’ photos.

People largely praised Will and Kate for their smiley, cosy shot of the family wearing their autumnal best, while Meghan and Harry’s candid, throwback, behind-the-scenes pic from their wedding reception turned out to be oddly controversial.

Comparisons were made between the two via the disconcerting metric of Instagram likes, with some observers noticing that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s photo had over twice the amount of likes than that of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s.

In other words, certain royal fans have lost the plot, and we must all calm down.

 

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are delighted to share a new photograph from their Wedding Reception at Frogmore House on 19th May. The photograph, which was taken by photographer Chris Allerton, features on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this year.

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Dec 14, 2018 at 3:01am PST

The biggest criticism levelled at Meghan and Harry’s black and white photo seems to be that the couple have their backs turned, which is apparently symbolic of them ‘turning their backs’ against the Commonwealth. Others have accused them of being “pretentious” and choosing a photo that isn’t festive enough.

Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, has also weighed in on the debate via Twitter, with news.com.au sharing the tweets from her private Twitter, which has 7,789 followers.

“Interesting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have their backs turned. Is this towards the world or just the Ragland and Markle family?” she wrote.

“It’s a bit sad. Face the Christmas spirit.”

“It’s incredibly rude to turn your back in a Christmas photo that is meant to share warmth and good wishes with the world. Those that criticize me for pointing out the truth, need to get that brown stuff off their noses. I hear the world’s smallest violin playing,” she later tweeted.

How is #SamanthaMarkle who TURNED HER BACK ON HER CHILDREN, mother & brother criticising #Meghan for turning her back on a toxic bully? pic.twitter.com/d556BGOoYO

— M-Kay (@MegsArm) December 15, 2018

However, there’s something the people criticising the intimate photo are forgetting. Although it was taken by professional photographer, Chris Allerton, the touchingly, low-key grainy image is surprisingly private, especially compared to what the Palace usually shares. In some ways it looks like it could have been a random photo that was casually snapped by an unassuming wedding guest, done in the spur of the moment.

What we have is a couple in love – just look at Meghan and Harry’s hands – who chose to share with the world a tender and previously unseen moment from one of the most special days of their lives.

The fact is this is one of the most personal and candid photos we'll ever get from the royal family. It gives us a glimpse into what Meghan and Harry see, offering us a much more private moment than the Christmas photos of Prince Charles and Camilla or Prince William and Duchess Catherine. It's also not unusual for a royal couple to choose a photo from their wedding as their official Christmas card image, with Prince Charles and Princess Diana doing the same in 1981, the year of their marriage.

However, in the current climate where vicious rumours and unfounded criticisms are constantly lobbed at Meghan Markle, this seems to be another way her detractors have chosen to discount the new royal, and I think we can all agree that this behaviour needs to stop.

Why do you think Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are copping so much flack for their Christmas photo? Tell us in a comment below.

Let's revisit all the best moments from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's truly epic royal wedding.