

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
- Prince Harry once had a secret Instagram account with the username @SpikeyMau5, royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand revealed in new book Finding Freedom.
- The username is a reference to his Facebook alias, Spike Wells, as well as his favorite DJ, Deadmau5.
- Alas, @SpikeyMau5 has since been deleted from Instagram.
It's jarring enough to imagine Prince Harry idling a few royal hours away by scrolling through Instagram, perhaps uploading the odd photo of some particularly remarkable latte art using the Valencia filter. What's even more staggering: Prince Harry reportedly named his secret Instagram account after his favorite DJ, Deadmau5, as well as his Facebook alias, Spike Wells. The not at all embarrassing outcome? @SpikeyMau5.
According to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, whose Sussex biography Finding Freedom is being serialized by the Times of London, Meghan Markle began following @SpikeyMau5 around the time of their secret first date, at Soho House’s Dean Street Townhouse in London. With the profile photo a shot of Deadmau5's mouse ear helmet, it's unlikely anyone could have guessed she was actually following Harry.
What the Duchess' followers might have guessed was that she'd met someone during her trip to London. According to Scobie and Durand, Meghan posted on Instagram after their first date, sharing a photo of a Love Heart reading "Kiss Me" with the caption "Lovehearts in #London." Cute!
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)
A photo posted by on
Back to Harry's secret life online: In May, news broke that he'd maintained a Facebook profile between 2008 and 2012 under the name "Spike Wells" (Scotland Yard officers often referred to the Prince as Spike, according to the Times.) Harry/Spike listed his hometown as Maun, Botswana, and his interests as "all sports." Oh, and he posted several photos of himself and his then girlfriend, Chelsy Davy. So that's Instagram and Facebook down; who's going to do us all a favor and leak Harry's Tumblr?
RELATED STORIES
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
Princess Charlotte Can Do This Difficult Skill, Just Like Her Mom Princess Kate—But Kate Admits Charlotte is Better at It
“I’ll have to keep practicing now.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Pete Davidson’s Latest Romance Appears to Be with Madelyn Cline of ‘Outer Banks’ Fame
Both went through breakups this summer.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Selena Gomez Roasts Herself in TikTok Video: “Guess Who Has a Boyfriend? Not Me, Bi—”
She has been embracing her single status as of late.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Meghan Markle is a Huge Fan of This Academy-Award Winning Actress—and Apparently Really Wants to Work With Her
Good news? The admiration is mutual.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
George, Charlotte and Louis Will Be Laden With Gifts as Prince William Returns From New York
He was handed so many souvenirs for the little ones.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Exact J.Crew Sweater Blazer Meghan Markle Wore to the Invictus Games is Available to Order Again
It’s also available in other colorways.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Here's Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stay, Eat, and Visit While in New York City
Prince William arrives in the Big Apple today, but hopefully he’ll have time to have a little fun, too, maybe at one of these hotspots.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
We Noticed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Unspoken Signal That Their Marriage is Doing Just Fine
The two were front and center—and obviously very in love—at the Invictus Games this week.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
In a Nod to Meghan Markle’s Fashion Influence, J.Crew Cheekily Updates the Product Description for the Sweater Blazer She Wore This Week
Demand for the piece crashed the brand’s site.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
A Retrospective on Every Outfit Meghan Markle Wore to the 2023 Invictus Games
We already miss the Games, which just ended a couple of hours ago.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Meghan Markle Shares She Hopes Her Children Will Take Part in this Royal Family-Loved Hobby
She admitted that she doesn’t know how to do this activity, though.
By Rachel Burchfield