Meghan Markle Returns to Instagram to Celebrate the New Year
Meghan Markle launched a new Instagram account, her first since 2020, on New Year’s Day. The account, @meghan, was confirmed to be an official account of the Duchess of Sussex by the Associated Press.
Markle debuted the account with a black and white video of herself at a deserted beach. In the clip, she runs across the beach before scrawling “2025” in the sand. The account has gained more than half a million followers since she posted it yesterday.
More from Rolling Stone
ABC News reported that the video was shot by Prince Harry himself on a public beach near the couple’s home in Montecito, California.
Markle’s relationship with social media has been tenuous following her marriage to Prince Harry and their departure from the British royal family. When the couple married in 2018, they were part of the @KensingtonRoyal Instagram account, which also include Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales. They later launched their own account, @SussexRoyal, but shuttered that in 2020 as the pair stepped back from their royal roles.
The Suits actress has been teasing her return to the platform for several years. In 2022, she told The Cut, “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back… on Instagram.” In 2023, Page Six reported that Markle had secured the @meghan handle, but didn’t do anything with it at the time. Last year, she launched @AmericanRivieraOrchard seemingly with the intention to promote a project, but that account hasn’t been active since.
In 2021, Harry told Fast Company that the couple weren’t done with social media after shutting down @SussexRoyal. “We will revisit social media when it feels right for us,” he said. “Perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform, but right now we’ve thrown much of our energy into learning about this space and how we can help.”
Speaking at SXSW in 2024, Markle reflected on the harms and toxicity of social media, recalling the hate she received from commenters online particularly while she was pregnant with her two children. “I keep my distance from it right now just for my own well-being,” Markle said. “But the bulk of the bullying and abuse I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lily. You think about that, to really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty, it’s cruel.”
Best of Rolling Stone
Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
