Meghan Markle has been accused of "staging" her recent Instagram video, as fans claimed to spot an awkward blunder.
The Duchess of Sussex shared a video of herself watching ducks cross a road in Montecito on Easter Sunday.
Meghan's Instagram post, which amassed more than five million views, showed her reacting to a mother duck and seven ducklings waddling across a woodland road.
The 43-year-old captioned the clip "An Easter weekend surprise" and added "Wishing you a Happy Easter full of love....and surprises!"
Meghan Markle accused of 'staging' video as fans spot awkward blunder
Instagram / @meghan
However, the seemingly innocent footage drew criticism on social media, with numerous commenters accusing the Duchess of staging the encounter rather than capturing a spontaneous moment.
Critics questioned why Meghan appeared "dolled up" and perfectly positioned in the centre of the frame if the duck crossing was truly unexpected.
In the video, Meghan wore an elegant white sleeveless midi dress as she observed the duck family.
She appeared visibly open-mouthed with delight at witnessing the special Easter moment.
Meghan Markle with a mother duck and ducklings
Instagram / @meghan
The footage captured her watching as the mother duck waited in the middle of the road for her young to follow.
Ducklings are symbolic of spring and new life, making them strongly associated with the Easter holiday.
The soundtrack chosen for the video was "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" by American saxophonist Louis Jordan.
The music presumably drew attention to the train-like motion of the mother duck leading her flock across the road.
Meghan Markle wore a white halterneck dress for the occasion.
Instagram / @meghan
Prince Harry's wife appeared both shocked and thrilled in the clip when she encountered the delightful duck family.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one critic wrote: "You just know this was a set-up.
"Poor ducks had to be filmed with Megs. She just happened to be there with a cameraman when the ducks crossed. Sure!!!"
Another commented: "Oh look, the camera is set up to have Meghan right in the centre of the shot and the ducks are slightly off camera."
Prince Harry's wife appeared both shocked and thrilled in the clip
Instagram / @meghan
"She literally just got dolled up for that five seconds of just herself with some ducks," the same person added.
Despite the criticism, mallard ducks are very common in California.
The California Waterfowl organisation states that the majority of mallards harvested in the area are also hatched there, rather than coming from other areas in the US or Canada.
The heartwarming post comes after Meghan launched her As Ever lifestyle products, with the first run selling out within an hour of going live in early April.
