Meghan Markle pulls off a vanishing act on social media
LONDON: Soon-to-wed Meghan Markle has pulled off a vanishing act.
Her Instagram is gone. Where the former Suits actress (and current fi ancée to Prince Harry) once kept the inspirational bread crumbs from her life now rests a cold apology: “Sorry, this page isn’t available.” Over on Twitter? It’s gone too. This day was written in the stars above Buckingham Palace. Markle curbed her posting the moment news broke that she and the former spare heir were dating in November 2016.
Soon after, in April of last year, the soon-to-be-retired actress folded her lifestyle blog, The Tig. After posting the announcement on Instagram, she stopped posting on the platform altogether. After that, she announced she would be leaving the acting life behind, and on Nov 27 came the official engagement announcement.
For all the ways that Meghan and Harry’s relationship has strayed from tradition thus far, the social-media blackout is one thing Markle seems to have no interest in pushing back against.
No senior royals have individual social-media accounts; accounts for Kensington Palace, Clarence House, and the royal family, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, take care of them as a group.
Those are where sanctioned photos are released, appearances are announced, and coverage of those appearances will be shared. Just this week, the Kensington Palace account released photos from Princess Charlotte’s fi rst day at nursery school.
Meanwhile, Markle’s halfsister Samantha Grant has been rubbishing rumours that Markle’s father won’t be walking her down the aisle.
“Yes he is, God forbid, unless the plane crashes...he’ll be there one way or the other,” said Grant.
A source at Kensington Palace said: “We look forward to sharing more details about the wedding in due course.”
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Markle were given some streetlevel tips for their wedding music as they visited a pioneering radio station in south London on Tuesday.
On their second official royal outing together, the couple were greeted by large crowds when they visited the Reprezent radio station in Brixton which was set up in 2008 as part of a response to a rise in knife crime among young people.
The station trains hundreds of young people each year in media and employment skills. It offers training in topics ranging from audio and radio production and editing to communication skills and work experience.
It also runs programmes supporting youngsters with specific issues like mental health challenges, a cause dear to Harry’s heart.
Presenter Gloria Beyi, 17, said the couple showed a keen interest in the station’s music.
“The main thing I observed is they go quite well together,“she told Reuters. “This is genuine — this is real stuff. Having both of them in one room trying to talk to you and having interest in the station, how it works, the relationship between everyone, it’s just so amazing.”
Asked about possible wedding music recommendations, she said: “A little bit of house, a little bit of hip-hop, cos Harry did say that he is interested in hip-hop and house.
“So, that mixed together at a wedding? Then you’re pretty good. Those two genres if they’re there, you’re pretty sorted for your wedding.”
Harry, 33, and Markle, 36, will marry at Windsor’s St George’s Chapel on May 19. — Agencies