Meghan Feels ‘Exposed’ After Being ‘Blindsided’ by Leaked Intimate Photos With Harry—They’re ‘Re-Evaluating’ Who They Can Trust
Jason Pham
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are “devastated” after intimate photos of them at the beach with their son, Archie, leaked online.
The photos, which were published by TMZ on August 2, showed Meghan, Harry, and Archie at Santa Claus Beach in Carpinteria, California, where Archie took surf lessons while Meghan and Harry chilled on the sand and watched from shore. The pictures, which were from Harry, Meghan and Archie’s beach day on Friday, August 1, showed Meghan in a wide-brimmed hat, white button-up shirt, and denim shorts as she cuddled one of the couple’s dogs on the beach. Harry, for his part, was seen in a dark T-shirt and shorts and a light-colored cap as he enjoyed the sun with his wife.
After the photos made their way online, a source told Rob Shuter that the couple was “devastated” by the leak of their intimate family hangout and were “re-evaluating” who they could trust from their inner circle. “This was supposed to be a peaceful day. Instead, they feel blindsided and exposed,” the insider said.
“They planned every detail to keep it low-key — and someone sold them out,” the source continued, adding that Harry and Meghan went to great lengths to make sure their beach day was as private as possible, as it wasn’t a “public outing.” According to Rob Shuter, Harry and Meghan viewed the outing as a “special day” for their family but now consider it as a “wake-up call” for who they can trust.
Per the Daily Mail, Archie is a part of the Santa Barbara-based surfing institute Surf Happens. The leak of Harry and Meghan’s beach day come amid reports that the couple could be moving back to the United Kingdom so their children, Archie and daughter Lilibet, could have a British education like their father.
Grant Harrold, former royal butler to King Charles, told The New York Post in August 2025 that Harry is “quite keen” for his children to be schooled in the UK. “It’s very likely and it’s completely possible because if they have their younger education in America, I’m sure their father will be quite keen to have a bit of a British education, but then it depends on how the relationship is with the rest of the family when the time comes,” Harrold said.
He continued, “Time will tell, but I’d like to think that they would get a bit of education here because royals normally do some gap year somewhere. The king famously went to Australia, so it is possible that coming to the UK could be part of that for Archie or Lilibet.”
Still, if Harry and Meghan do return to the UK, they likely won’t be welcomed back by Harry’s older brother, Prince William, who has been embroiled in a feud with his sibling for years. “He absolutely fucking hates [his brother],” a source told The Daily Beast in July 2025. “William will never, ever forgive Harry for what he has done. Charles is the king; he can do what he likes. But make no mistake: William believes with every fiber of his being that giving Harry and Meghan back any royal imprimatur is a huge mistake.”
