Prince Harry is once again embroiled in controversy after an image shared by his wife, Meghan Markle, with their little daughter, Princess Lilibet. Despite the photo being very sweet and loving, users quickly noticed a detail that caused alarm.
To commemorate International Women’s Day, last Saturday Meghan posted several emotional images, including the controversial photograph of Harry with 3-year-old Lilibet.
The little girl was wearing a pink shirt and flower leggings, while her father sported a baseball cap worn backwards, shorts, and kissed her on the head; both were facing away from the camera.
Why did the photo of Prince Harry with his daughter, Lilibet, cause controversy?
In the Duchess of Sussex’s post, you can see Harry being very loving with his daughter, but what caught attention and has led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex being accused of violating California law is that Lili, as they affectionately call her at home, appears without a life jacket on board a boat.
The couple lives in Montecito, in the state of California (United States), and in that territory the law establishes that children under 13 years old must wear a life jacket at all times while on a moving boat. The life jacket must be approved by the Coast Guard and must be of the appropriate type and size for the maritime conditions and activity.
The rule also states that children under that age will be exempt from wearing a life jacket as long as they are tethered to a sailboat through a harness, when they are in a closed cabin, and when they are on a boat during an emergency rescue. Many fans of the couple have expressed concern for Lilibet and the lack of safety measures.
“We celebrate the strong women around us and the girls with dreams who become women with vision. Thank you also to those who encourage us every day,” Meghan had written alongside all the images in which she also appears with her mother.