Ever since March 2020, the Sussex royal couple hasn't updated their Instagram page. They don't intend to either in the future, according to reports.
It was in January of 2020 that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would be stepping down as senior royals. By March, they said goodbye to their Instagram page as well. On their @sussexroyal account which has 10 million-plus followers, their final post read, "We look forward to reconnecting with you soon." Nothing has been posted on the page since.
Now, a source close to the royals told The Sunday Times that the royal couple has planned to quit social media completely. The source divulges that both Prince Harry and Meghan have "no plans" to use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for their Archewell Foundation and that it would be "very unlikely" for them to use the social media platforms for their personal use as well.
The source further revealed that it was the "hate" that the couple received on social media that led the couple to take this decision. During a special World Mental Health Day interview for the podcast Teenager Therapy, Meghan spoke about her own battle with bullying on social media, according to Elle.
"I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world—male or female," she said. "Now, eight months of that I wasn't even visible. I was on maternity leave or with a baby but was able to just be manufactured and churned out. It's almost unsurvivable."
"That's so big you can't even think of what that feels like, because I don't care if you're 15 or you're 25, if people are saying things about you that aren't true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging." Noting that she and Harry both understand how different people deal differently with such situations, she added, "We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt. We all know what it feels like to be isolated or bothered."
In an article for American magazine Fast Company, Harry wrote that "The digital landscape is unwell" as the social media has "stoked and created… a crisis of hate, a crisis of health and a crisis of truth." Before the royals had their own account, they shared the Kensington Palace account. As a result, it was reported that the Duchess was a target of over 5,000 abusive and racist tweets in just two months, according to Tatler.
The trollers even threatened Meghan with violence and accusations that she was faking her pregnancy. Ultimately, Buckingham Palace had to issue a statement setting guidelines for the ones following the royal's pages. They also stated that content violating the guidelines would be eligible for a report to police.
All royals including the Queen have social media accounts through which they keep their fans updated about their engagements, patronages, and philanthropic ventures. Backing away from maintaining a social media presence marks the breaking of another royal custom by the Duke and the Duchess.
According to Express UK, when people were asked if they supported the royal couple's decision, 68 percent agreed, 24 percent disagreed and the remaining 8 percent didn't know what their opinion was. The poll was taken after it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan would be quitting social media to concentrate on the work that they're doing and their new life in America.
References:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/harry-and-meghan-quit-social-media-w5qrlsck7
https://open.spotify.com/episode/72j20IYhudLA2qRRXaqrGj
https://www.tatler.com/article/prince-harry-meghan-markle-quit-social-media
