Meghan Markle, 43, has rejoined Instagram after a multi-year hiatus, launching a new account under the handle @meghan on January 1st, 2025. The long-rumored account’s first post features a cryptic video of Markle, dressed in white, running on a beach and writing “2025” in the sand before running off-camera. Sources confirm Prince Harry filmed the unfiltered video at a public beach near their Montecito, California home.
In addition to the intriguing first post, the @meghan account also updated its profile picture with a black-and-white photo of a smiling Markle in a different white outfit. A source close to the Duchess of Sussex says she is “excited” about her return to Instagram, planning to use the platform to spread “joy” and share updates on upcoming projects. This comeback follows a 2022 interview with The Cut where Markle hinted at a potential return to the platform.
A Long-Awaited Return to Social Media
Markle’s return marks a significant shift after several years away from social media. In the August 2022 The Cut interview, she teased her return, saying, “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back… on Instagram.” However, later in the same interview, she expressed uncertainty about actually rejoining. Before marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Markle maintained a substantial online presence with 3 million followers on her personal Instagram account and her lifestyle blog, The Tig. She closed the blog in April 2017, shortly before her engagement to Prince Harry, and deleted all her social media accounts the following January.
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Reflecting on leaving social media, Markle told The Cut, “It was a big adjustment — a huge adjustment to go from that kind of autonomy to a different life.”
Navigating Royal Life and Social Media Restrictions
Meghan and Harry’s May 2018 wedding brought them into the fold of the Royal Family, with their activities shared on the @KensingtonRoyal account alongside updates about Prince William and Kate Middleton. However, this came with strict protocols regarding sharing personal information, particularly photos of their children. Markle questioned the requirement of giving photos to the Royal Rota (the U.K.’s media pool) before sharing them with loved ones.
In a groundbreaking move, a month before Archie’s birth in May 2019, the couple launched their own Instagram page, @SussexRoyal. This coincided with their establishment of a separate office from William and Kate. The @SussexRoyal account rapidly gained over one million followers in just six hours, offering a more personal glimpse into their royal work. They signed posts and attributed quotes using their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
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Stepping Back and Embracing New Ventures
Following their departure from senior royal roles in 2020, the @SussexRoyal account ceased updates with a final post in March 2020 acknowledging the world’s fragility and emphasizing the potential for positive change. While the page remains online, comments are disabled. In April 2020, they launched the Archewell Foundation, the non-profit branch of their broader Archewell organization, encompassing Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. Markle’s return to Instagram signals a new chapter in her public life, offering a platform for personal expression and engagement with her followers. It remains to be seen what content she will share and how she will utilize the platform going forward.
