Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, returns to Instagram with New Year beach video

The Duchess of Sussex has kickstarted the New Year by returning to Instagram with her first account since 2020.

Posting on 1 January under the username @meghan, the former Suits actress shared a video of herself running barefoot towards the waves on an overcast beach and drawing 2025 in the sand.

Meghan, dressed in white, then dashes past the camera with a big smile.

The new account has already amassed almost 650,000 followers.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told NBC News that Prince Harry filmed the video at a beach near their home in Montecito in California, where the couple eventually moved to after they quit as senior royals in 2020 – and when they stopped using their official Sussex Royal account.

‘Duchess had constructive conversations with Meta’

The spokesperson said the duchess intends to use the new account to share updates on her work and personal life, and hopes she can “lead by example to show the positive impact that social media can create”.

The couple said the duchess has in recent years held “constructive conversations” with senior executives at Meta about “creating safer and healthier online environments”, the spokesperson added.

In 2023, she and Harry urged social media platforms to strengthen content-moderation policies, saying that some apps could damage the mental health of young people.

Meghan now wishes to promote “a joyful and thoughtful approach to online engagement – one that fosters meaningful connections and inspires positivity in today’s digital space”, according to the spokesperson.

They added: “While there is still work to be done, she feels confident that by returning to Instagram, she can amplify the progress made so far and lead by example in demonstrating the potential for social media to bring joy and positive connection.

“By stepping back into this space, the duchess hopes to authentically share moments of joy and inspiration from her life while continuing to advocate for safer, more positive online experiences-particularly for young people and families.”

Sussexes history with social media

The Sussex Royal account had been launched in April 2019 after Harry and Meghan split from the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Kensington Palace household, which operates on social media as Kensington Royal.

The pair used their account to announce the birth and name of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019, to promote their own work and that of charities, and release their so-called Megxit statement.

Read more:
Harry and Meghan share rare photo of children
Harry says life in US is what Princess Diana would have ‘wanted’ for him

The duchess had closed her personal social media accounts ahead of her wedding to the Duke of Sussex in 2018.

She had regularly posted updates on them beforehand and ran her own lifestyle blog, The Tig.

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However, she has indicated over the past few years she would return to social media.

In a 2022 interview with New York Magazine’s The Cut, she said: “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back… on Instagram.”

At other times she has sounded reluctant to return, citing concerns about harassment.