Sussexes keep fans posted as they go it alone on Instagram
Harry and Meghan shine a light on their own life with new account separate from that of the Cambridges
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex have set up their own Instagram account, as they seize control of their royal brand before the birth of their baby.
The couple, who are creating a new staff based at Buckingham Palace, promise to publish their “important announcements” directly to followers.
Until now they have shared social media accounts with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge run by Kensington Palace, which has become increasingly overwhelmed by the vitriol aimed at the royal wives.
It has been created in time for the birth of the couple’s first child at the end of this month, with royal-watchers now expecting the first photographs to be posted on Instagram. A debut post on Sussexroyal signed “Harry and Meghan” showed pictures of their royal engagements while promising to “shine a light on key issues”.
Among the nine featured photographs are shots of the couple waving to crowds from a balcony in Fiji, sailing around Sydney harbour during the 2018 Invictus Games and the Duke with the Royal Marines in Norway.
The picture-driven format of Instagram gives the Sussexes and their staff much greater control over the public’s interaction with their posts as the platform allows account holders to filter unsuitable or unwanted comments.
The Sussexes have not yet launched a Twitter account. The same handle, @sussexroyal, is currently occupied by a football fan named Kevin Keiley who has tweeted only a handful of times over the last seven years.
A first post by Sussexroyal said: “Welcome to our official Instagram; we look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues. We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal – Harry & Meghan”.
The account, which already had more than 500,000 followers last night, was welcomed by devoted fans of the Duchess, who have long
‘We look forward to sharing the work that drives us and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues’
complained that her social media “voice” has been stifled. As the-actress Meghan Markle, she regularly posted images of food, travel and fun times with her friends. Since joining the Royal Family, she and the Duke have occasionally posted their own photographs behind the scenes on their autumn tour.
The new social media strategy comes as the Sussexes prepare to relaunch their working lives under the guidance of strategist Sara Latham, who has previously worked on American political campaigns.
The original shared account, @kensingtonroyal, with 7.1million followers, is now described as “the official account of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Royal Foundation”.