Don’t Expect Meghan Markle’s Return to Instagram “Anytime Soon,” Royal Expert Says

The @meghan Instagram account—despite having no posts—has now amassed 127K followers and counting.

Meghan Markle
(Image credit: Getty)

And so we wait…and wait…: it has long been assumed that the @meghan Instagram handle belongs to Meghan Markle, and overzealous fans have waited all summer for some activity on the account. The @meghan account, as of this writing, has 127,000 followers, despite having zero posts, following no one, and featuring only a vague profile photo of flowers—yet here we all sit, waiting.

But, according to Hello royal editor Emily Nash, we might be waiting a long time. Speaking on the “A Right Royal Podcast,” Nash said we shouldn’t expect any content from Meghan anytime soon: “My understanding is that this account was set up for her in case she wanted to go back to that world,” Nash said. “As you know, she was hugely successful on Instagram with her ‘The Tig’ account—and it is something she did really well and we learned so much about her when she first came on the scene because of her Insta account.” 

Meghan Markle in yellow dress

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Even as a working member of the royal family, her and Prince Harry’s @sussexroyal account also amassed a boatload of followers. As for an Instagram return, “I don’t think it is something she is planning on anytime soon,” Nash said. “It’s nice that she’s got the option and she already has a huge audience if she did decide to pop up. But I guess it is a contingency—and also, I guess, as a famous person, you have to grab these handles while you can.”

Meghan herself teased a return to the social media platform in a 2022 interview for The Cut about her podcast, “Archetypes.” She told the interviewer for the article “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back…on Instagram.” She said the decision was made in light of Archetypes’ launch, per The Mirror, but no Instagram posts ever appeared. 

Meghan Markle at the Archewell Foundation's mental health summit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“However, if she were to return to the site, experts have predicted it could prove massively lucrative, and that she could earn up to $1 million for sponsored posts and advertising campaigns,” The Mirror reports. In addition to a possible return to Instagram, “there have also been reports Meghan is set to revive her lifestyle blog, ‘The Tig,’” the outlet writes, “where she would share her innermost thoughts and feelings as well as enviable snaps of her life.”

Meghan Markle at the One Young World Summit opening ceremony

(Image credit: Getty Images)

And, in addition to her life, public relations expert Mayah Riaz believes Meghan will incorporate her work into the new Instagram account, as well. “We can expect Meghan’s Instagram account to include glimpses into her family life as well as work projects,” Riaz said. “I don’t think we will see a lot of photos of [Prince] Archie and [Princess] Lilibet. They may include snaps with their face hidden.”

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.