Meghan Markle mocked over fruit-picking picture

Royal fans are once again putting on their detective hats after a new Instagram post by Meghan Markle went viral for all the wrong reasons.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared a seemingly candid image of herself picking apricots from a tree, captioned: “Weekend plans: pick, snack, repeat”—alongside a peach emoji.

But instead of admiring the idyllic lifestyle, eagle-eyed followers quickly spotted what they claim is a bizarre inconsistency in the photo, posted on the official As Ever Instagram account, Meghan’s new lifestyle brand.

In the photo, believed to have been taken at the Sussexes’ Montecito estate, Meghan is seen reaching into a tree full of unripe, green apricots. However, the single apricot she's holding between her fingers stands out as the only perfectly ripe, orange-colored fruit, prompting many to cry foul.

One Reddit user questioned the logic behind the scene:

“In what parallel universe does a single apricot ripen on a tree when the rest are still green?”

Another sarcastically said: “Despite all the other fruit being green, plus she's ‘picking’ from inside the tree – where fruit ripens slower – she's found the perfect, glowing apricot. Impressive!”

Others went further, accusing Meghan of staging the shot, pointing out that the apricot didn’t even appear to be attached to the tree and was possibly being held upside down.

“Is it just me or is that fruit not even connected to the tree?” one user asked. “She’s clearly holding it in place to make it look like she’s picking it fresh.”

“She can’t even fake plucking fruit properly,” wrote another critic. “At least Photoshop the rest of the apricots to look orange!”

Some even speculated the fruit was store-bought and placed for the photo, saying the detail was "another carefully curated moment gone slightly wrong."

In her defence, one fan offered an alternative view: “She never said that she picked that one—maybe she’s just posing. The Whole Foods one just happened to match her tree!”

Others suggested that the lighting or photo editing may have caused the unusual contrast between the fruits.

This isn’t the first time Meghan’s polished social media posts have come under scrutiny.

Last month, a photo of the Sussexes’ dog Mia sniffing a basket of perfectly clean vegetables raised eyebrows, many noting the produce had no mud or dirt, which would typically be present if freshly picked from a garden.

And earlier this year, Meghan posted a video teasing a new project by writing “2025” in the sand. But fans quickly noticed another set of 2025 digits nearby—suggesting it took multiple takes to get the shot right.

In yet another image from her As Ever brand’s feed, a small computer cursor was spotted in the corner of a photo, hinting the image might have been hastily edited or screen-grabbed from a design preview.