Meghan Markle finally reveals why she deleted her Instagram account

Once upon a time, Meghan Markle was only known as the star of USA Network’s Suits. Then, in 2016, she was romantically tied to Prince Harry. Although she became royalty expecting to live happily ever after, she never expected the whirlwind journey her life would follow. 

To prepare for her new royal life, Meghan Markle said goodbye to her Instagram account. Many believed she was only following orders from the Queen & Buckingham Palace, but deleting her Instagram was actually a personal choice for Markle. One of the biggest accounts on the social media platform, fans were taken aback by Markle closing her account.  

Even though Meghan Markle has official social media accounts through Buckingham Palace, she chooses to stay away from social media after closing her personal accounts. Finally, Meghan Markle opened up about why she left all social media.

Protecting her mental health

Like many celebrities, Meghan Markle found herself overwhelmed by social media. Speaking with Fortune, Markle defended her decision, saying “I’ve made a personal choice to not have any account, so I don’t know what’s out there, and in many ways that’s helpful for me”. 

Since 2016, Meghan Markle has had a battle with British tabloids over her relationship with Prince Harry. As a mixed-race woman, Markle faced a lot of backlash for being part of the first interracial royal relationship in the UK. Overtime, the tabloids began attacking Markle for refusing to follow royal traditions. 

While Markle is currently in the middle of legal action against the Daily Mail & MailOnline, the Duke & Duchess of Sussex sent out a warning letter to other press organizations about the consequences for attacking Markle.

Social media use as an “addiction”

Acknowledging social media as a large part of our culture, Meghan Markle also called social media “an addiction”. In her interview with Fortune, Markle said “Something, algorithmically, is creating this obsession.” 

She continued, explaining: “There are very few things in this world where you call the person who is engaging with it a user.” Meghan Markle may have found herself extremely popular on Instagram and other social media sites, but it’s harmful if it’s used the wrong way. 

Meghan Markle also raises the issue of creating an “echo chamber” by following only friends on social media. “As you are out there engaging with friends online, just be conscious of what you’re doing . . . Understand that it is not limited to that one moment – that you are creating an echo chamber for yourself.”

Being there for Archie

Instagram in particular has a reputation of troll behavior, and since Meghan Markle was “the most trolled person in the world in 2019”, Markle is fearful of bringing that behavior to her son Archie. When asked about how motherhood makes her reconsider leadership, Markle’s comments also reflect her feelings about social media. 

“I think that’s as simple as it comes and as necessary as it comes and to that point as a parent, I can enjoy all the fun and silliness and games with my son, but I wouldn’t be able to feel proud of myself as a mom if I didn’t know that I wasn’t doing my part to make it a better place for him.”

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are well known for protecting Archie from paparazzi, so it’s no surprise their feelings reflect social media as well. The couple have expressed a desire to be there for their son and leave him a better version of the world around him.

Creating a closer family

Unlike what the tabloids have been saying, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s marriage has never been stronger according to insider sources. Even without social media, the source claims “You’re going to see a lot more of the Duke and Duchess in the coming weeks and months.”

With their multi-million dollar Netflix deal and their charity the Archewell Foundation, it’s clear the Duke & Duchess of Sussex aren’t going anywhere. Even if they’re not on social media, Meghan Markle is clearly still making herself heard.