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. _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. TRENDING STORIES 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.”