Meghan Markle Will Still Be On Social Media, Just In A Different Way

In the coming months she's going to become a member of the British Royal Family, but pretty much since it became known that she was dating Prince Harry former Suits (writer: Sharyn Rothstein) star Meghan Markle hasn't used her social media accounts. Given the change in her activity, many fans of the actor and philanthropist might be wondering whether or not Markle can still use social media. Well, the answer to that isn't necessarily a simple yes or no, but traditionally the members of the royal family have not managed their own, public profiles. So don't expect to see Markle resume posting her own photos to Instagram in the near future. Instead, she's now being featured in the Kensington Palace social media accounts.

About a year after confirming their relationship, Kensington Palace issued a statement announcing that Prince Harry and Markle had become engaged. The message explained that the two would be married in the Spring of 2018, and would be living at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London. The note was posted on the Clarence House Twitter account, which is the official residence of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, and said that Charles was "delighted to announce the engagement."

During all of this Markle has been noticeably silent on her personal social media accounts. She hasn't shared a photo to her official Instagram account (which is verified and has over 3 million followers) since April 2017. Whereas in 2016 she frequently shared photos to the social media network.

Additionally, Markle hasn't posted anything to her personal Twitter account since March. But that doesn't mean she isn't on social media at all. For the most part, members of the British Royal Family rely on a social media manager to update their official royal profiles, according to Observer. Though, it has been rumored that Prince Harry had a private Instagram that he used, in part so that he could see the photos Markle previously posted.

In the same way news for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla is posted on the Clarence House accounts, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and (now) Markle are featured on the Kensington Palace social media accounts, which includes Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Their feeds feature news and announcements pertaining to the two royal couples.

Despite the rumors of his own private Instagram activities, Prince Harry has publicly criticized social media. During a visit to the Lagkagehuset bakery in Copenhagen, in October 2017, Prince Harry spoke about the impact social media can have on a person's mental health. "People are spending far too much time online and it's like a mental running machine that they can't get off," the royal explained, according to People. "You wouldn't put your body through such a workout," he continued, "we all need to talk to each other more.

Likewise, Prince Harry's older brother, William, has also criticized excessive use of social media. According to People, at a gala hosted by The Children’s Trust in November, Prince William said,

"Children are tested more than ever before and are being prepared to enter a highly competitive work market. On top of this, there is a sense of being 'on call' 24/7 through social media, and the subsequent strains this can have on relationships, home life and, ultimately, a child’s sense of their own self-worth. It can all take its toll."

But even though Markle may not be as critical of social media as Princes Harry and William are, given the British Royal Family's current reliance on social media managers for their royal accounts, I wouldn't anticipate seeing Markle return to her personal Instagram or Twitter any time soon. Luckily, you can still get your fix of Markle updates by following Kensington Palace on all of its social media platforms.