If there is any bittersweetness in the approaching nuptials of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, it’s what happened yesterday, the inevitable dismantling of all of the Suits star’s social media channels.
Kensington Palace has confirmed that the 36-year-old actor and soon-to-be member of the Royal Family shuttered her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts earlier this week, explaining that they “haven’t been used for some time.” But inactivity is only part of the reason; it’s something of an unwritten rule that those about to be welcomed into the Royal fold must give up their accounts. Members of the monarchy are represented online by their household accounts, run by a social media team, and don’t normally post personal messages.
But up until earlier this week, the star’s social media accounts gave the over 350,000 Twitter followers, 800,000 Facebook page fans and 1.9 million Instagram followers a highly personal glimpse into a glamourous life of decadent meals, exciting travel, cute puppy cuddles and even a few bikini shots. Now, her platforms have gone the way of The Tig, Markle’s lifestyle blog, which she closed down in April of last year.
Here’s all that’s left of her once dazzling Twitter presence:
But all is not lost! Just like we do with the Duchess of Cambridge–neither she nor Prince William maintain personal social channels–we’ll just have to watch the official channels for our Markle news. This is how Markle’s fans will have to get used to seeing her on social media now:
Prince Harry and Ms. Markle chat to young people on the @ReprezentRadio programme about their experiences, and how Reprezent has helped them to develop important skills. pic.twitter.com/zKtJTEZ7g4
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 9, 2018
Markle, though appreciative of all the fans who previously followed her, doesn’t see it as a loss. She has retired from social media and acting, but her new lifestyle will afford her more time and energy to spend on charitable initiatives.
“I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change,” she told BBC in an interview after the announcement of her engagement. “It’s a new chapter, right?”
The actor and activist’s voice will be missed online, but we’re glad she’ll have even greater opportunities to help people, and we’ll just have to make do with Kensington Palace’s official releases from now on. The couple still looks adorable, no matter the handle posting the photos.
Prince Harry and Ms. Markle will visit @ReprezentRadio in Brixton on 9th January, to see their work supporting young people through creative training in radio and
broadcasting, and to learn more about their model of using music, radio and media for social impact. pic.twitter.com/6CuhOJd7LX— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 2, 2018
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