The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen their Instagram following take a huge plunge. According to the British analytic firm “Hypeauditor”, the former Royal couple lost over 700,000 followers in 2024 alone. Their Instagram account plummeted in March of 2024 right after Megxit. The steady downfall continued till the end of the last year followed by another big drop a year later, in March of 2024 after Harry showed up by himself to attend Prince Phillip’s funeral.
Meghan and Harry’s Instagram account haven’t been updated in over a year. The last time the couple posted was in March of 2024. When asked about the inactivity on their social media accounts, Prince Harry responded that they will share information when they see it fit. “We will revisit social media when it feels right for us”, the Duke said. So, far, that did not happen.
To make matters worse, it was revealed by Hypeauditor that two-thirds of the followers were actually bots. This means that the Duke and Dutchess were followed by almost 3 million people who follow a massive number of celebrities without any specific purpose. The @sussexroyal used to have more than 10 million followers.
The dive in numbers is explained by the very behavior and unpopular moves that followed Meghan and Harry’s departure. Prince Harry currently has 49% disapproval in the UK, which is a huge turnaround from being one of the most beloved member of the Royal family. His rambunctious nature of the Prince was always tolerated and explained away by comparing his temperament to his late mother’s, Lady Diana’s.
When Harry introduced Meghan Markle, a divorcee, and an actress, as his future wife, many jaws dropped in the UK. However, in time, the public accepted his choice and, wherever they went, the couple was warmly welcomed by the crowds. After announcing that they are leaving the Royal duties, many took it as a sign of disrespect for the Crown, and the Uk in general. The scorned public, fueled by the media, turned to harsh criticism and vile remarks that permanently destroyed Sussex’s image.
Across the pond, the trend continues to this day. The bombshell interview given to Oprah in March of this year didn’t help either. Right after, the Duchess of Sussex issued a book in which she reveals some intimate, personal family affairs within her family. And finally, like the last nail in the coffin, out came the book “Finding Freedom”. It was penned by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand who admitted that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not participate in any way.
Still, the damage was already done. In the book, the authors condemned Buckingham Palace’s slow response to the racism accusations made by Meghan Markle. Admitting that it truly happened was never expected by the Crown, but the Royals’ mellow and ambiguous reaction said a lot more than they would hope for. The public in the UK was not content by the vagueness of the statement issued only days after the infamous interview. Still, their support continued, leaving the Duke and the Duchess in the mercy of the tabloids.
Character attacks continue to this day. Angela Levin, the royal expert said: “They [Harry and Meghan] tell people to be compassionate yet neither are compassionate towards their own families.” Further, Prince Harry was criticized for taking a private jet several times in a span of two weeks, after speaking about being very eco-conscious.
On the other hand, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have seen a spike in social media followers. As of today, William and Kate have 13 million people following their posts on Instagram. That is 1 million more than the previous year. Truth be told, the Cambridge’s are also very active, sharing photos of their Royal activities including their three children. The audience appreciates it and is responding accordingly, with millions of likes and comments.
Kim Marks 
Nina Smith