Meghan Markle returns to social media after five-year hiatus

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from senior royal responsibilities in 2020

Meghan Markle ushered in the new year by welcoming thousands of fans and followers to her reactivated Instagram page.

The Duchess of Sussex offered a rare glimpse into her private life with a short and sweet video shared on social media Jan. 1.

Markle, 43, has not been active on the photo and video-sharing site since 2020, around the time she and Prince Harry announced their decision to step back from senior royal responsibilities.

Markle posted the 30-second clip early Wednesday morning to mark the first day of the new year.

She wore a long, white linen shirt paired with white pants while running down the beach near her home in Montecito, California, in a video captured by Prince Harry, according to People magazine.

No caption was necessary for the post, as she drew “2025” in the sand before giggling while running through the frame.

In a matter of hours, the Duchess of Sussex amassed more than 400,000 followers on her Instagram account.

Initially, after they married, Markle and Harry were part of the @KensingtonRoyal Instagram account, which also included Prince William and Kate Middleton.

One year into their union, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched their own @SussexRoyal account, which was discontinued in 2020 when the couple stepped down from senior royal responsibilities and moved to California.

In a conversation with “The Cut” published in 2022, Markle teased the possibility of returning to an online platform.

“Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back … on Instagram,” she said at the time.

Prince Harry recently addressed speculation surrounding his marriage after chatter peaked about the pair appearing separately at events.

“There’s articles left and right about, you know, why are you making, doing independent events? Why aren’t you doing them together?” moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin asked during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Prince Harry replied, “Because you invited me, you should have known. You should have known this was going to happen.”

When Sorkin asked if it was a “good thing” that there was so much interest in the couple, Harry admitted it was “definitely not a good thing,” citing rumors he’d heard about him and his wife.

“Apparently we’ve bought or moved houses 10, 12 times,” he said. “We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?'”

He added, “It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls,” he said. “Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”