Meghan Markle is back on Instagram after 5 years
What's the story
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has returned to Instagram with a new account under the handle @meghan. The 43-year-old royal marked her social media return on Wednesday (January 1, 2025), by posting an unedited video of herself in a white dress and writing "2025" in the sand at a public beach close to her Montecito home. The video was reportedly shot by her husband Prince Harry.
Social media presence
Markle's Instagram profile and follower count
Along with her first post, Markle changed her Instagram profile picture to a black and white photo of herself smiling in another white outfit. The new account gained over 2 lakh followers within minutes. The follower count currently stands at 597K. Prior to marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Markle had an Instagram account under her own name with 3 million followers and also operated a lifestyle blog called The Tig.
Twitter Post
Take a look at this video here
Meghan Markle rejoins Instagram after 5 years and posts New Years video running on the beach. pic.twitter.com/Bu3oYZa6Xr
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 2, 2025
Social media plans
Markle's previous hints at Instagram return
Notably, Markle had hinted at her return to Instagram during an interview with The Cut in August 2022. She had said, "Do you want to know a secret? I'm getting back...on Instagram." "It was a big adjustment—a huge adjustment to go from that kind of autonomy to a different life," she said about shutting down her social media accounts. Although she had expressed uncertainty later in the interview about her return, she has now made it official.
Royal restrictions
Markle's past Instagram journey and royal protocols
After her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018, updates about their royal duties were posted on the @KensingtonRoyal Instagram account along with posts about Prince William and Kate Middleton. But this came with strict protocols. "There's literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota," she revealed in 2022.
Independent venture
When Markle and Harry launched their separate Instagram account
In May 2019, a month before their first child Archie was born, Markle and Harry created a separate Instagram page @SussexRoyal. The page gained over 1 million followers within six hours and was used to share updates about their royal work with a personal touch. However, the account stopped updates after they stepped back from senior royal roles in 2020, with its last post shared in March that year.