Everything Meghan Markle Has Said About Social Media as She Rejects ‘Influencer’ Status

Meghan Markle has ramped up her Instagram presence — but she doesn’t want you to call her an “influencer.”

“I see myself as an entrepreneur and a female founder, and if the brand ends up influential, then that’s great,” Meghan, 43, said in a recent interview with People published on March 3 regarding her new lifestyle brand, As Ever.

The Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram comeback has so far involved links to her clothes, product announcements and a Gwyneth Paltrow collab — a stark contrast to the social media silence fans became accustomed to over the past several years and after Meghan married Prince Harry and became a member of the royal family.

Scroll down to learn more about Meghan’s Instagram evolution and everything the royal has said about using social media.

Meghan deleted social media right before she married Prince Harry: ‘Grateful’

Meghan had a big presence on social media before marrying Prince Harry in May 2018, and she even ran her own lifestyle blog, The Tig.

But in January 2018 — right after Meghan’s second royal engagement with Harry — both her Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, accounts were deleted.

“Ms. Markle is grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years,” a palace source told People at the time. “However as she has not used them for some time she has taken the decision to close them.”

Meghan also deleted all of her previous blog posts on The Tig, signing off with a touching farewell statement that’s still visible on the site at the time of publication.

“After close to three beautiful years on this adventure with you, it’s time to say goodbye to The Tig,” the statement began. “What began as a passion project (my little engine that could) evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity. You’ve made my days brighter and filled this experience with so much joy. Keep finding those Tig moments of discovery, keep laughing and taking risks, and keep being ‘the change you wish to see in the world.’”

She said it was ‘freeing’ to ditch social media

The Duchess of Sussex opened up about the harmful effects of social media when speaking with staff and volunteers from Live for Tomorrow, an online youth programme, during a royal visit to Wellington, New Zealand, in October 2018.

“Young people find it so difficult. You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter,” Meghan said at the time, according to the Daily Mail. “Your judgment of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.”

During the same tour, the duchess said it was “freeing” to no longer be online, the outlet added. (Meghan and Harry’s former joint Instagram account was run by a team of palace employees to promote their work on behalf of the monarch until 2020, when they both relinquished their duties as senior members of the royal family.)

Meghan said she was the “most trolled person” in 2019

Meghan and Harry announced their resignation from royal duties via their joint Instagram account in January 2020.

Speaking on the “Teenager Therapy” podcast in October 2020, the duchess opened up about the online hate she received during her time as a working royal.

“I’m told that in 2019, I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female,” Meghan said. “Now, eight months of that, I wasn’t even visible — I was on maternity leave or with the baby — but was able to just be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable.”

The royal wasn’t ready to return to socials in 2024

“Yes, social media is an environment that has a lot of that [toxicity] …I keep my distance from it right now just for my own wellbeing,” Meghan said during a SXSW panel in March 2024.

“You have to really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty — it’s cruel,” she said. “And certainly when you’re pregnant or you have a newborn, as moms you know it’s such a tender and sacred time. And you can either succumb to it or nearly succumb to how painful it is. And maybe in some regards, that mammalian instinct just kicked in: ‘Do everything you can to protect your child’ and as a result protect yourself too.”

Meghan’s Instagram return

The duchess returned to Instagram on January 1, 2025, with a video of herself writing “2025” in the sand. Since then, the account has amassed 2.6 million followers.

The duchess has used her new profile to post personal stories, including a heartfelt tribute to her late rescue dog, Guy, as well as updates about her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, and upcoming podcast series.

The duchess has also used Instagram to poke fun at the online discourse about her business ventures. For example, podcaster Amanda Hirsch recently shared a handwritten note from Meghan after she admitted she was “scared” for the duchess.

“Dear Amanda, I heard you were feeling scared. Don’t be! This is the fun part — let’s enjoy it. As ever, Meghan,” the note, dated March 2025, said.

Similarly, the royal also helped Montecito neighbor Gwyneth Paltrow squash feud rumors with a cheeky Instagram video taken in someone’s kitchen on Tuesday, March 25.

Responding to a fan’s question about the rumored “beef” she and Meghan have, Paltrow said: “I genuinely do not understand this at all whatsoever.”

She then panned the camera to Meghan, who was sitting beside her.

“Do you understand this?” she asked.

Meghan simply snacked on a piece of pie and shrugged knowingly.

Us Weekly reached out to representatives for the Duchess of Sussex for comment.