Before she was a royal, Meghan Markle was both an actress and a lifestyle blogger, meaning that she had to be social media savvy. And now, based on recent posts on the Kensington Palace pages, she’s getting her husband Prince Harry in on social platforms.
The Duke of Sussex, 34, officially ventured into “Instagram Husband” territory on the final day of the couple’s tour on Wednesday, October 31, and the evidence was posted on the palace’s Instagram the following morning.
Prince Harry took to a rather artistic snapshot of his pregnant wife, 37, cradling her baby bump and standing in the midst of the tall Redwood trees in the Forest in Rotorua, New Zealand. “A message from The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: ‘Thank you New Zealand for the most wonderful last week of our tour. It has been a privilege to meet so many friendly Kiwis. Australia, Fiji, Tonga and NZ – we leave feeling inspired and reminded of how every single one of us can make a difference,'” the couple’s note read.
They concluded their note to the public with a quote by New Zealand women’s suffrage movement member Kate Sheppard that reads: “The rain that refreshes the parched ground, is made up of single drops.”
The photo credit went to the one and only “Duke of Sussex,” meaning he’s now joined the club of celebrity spouses who take photos for their significant others.
This wasn’t his only foray into social media this week. Harry took a stunning shot of New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park from the sky, and Kensington Palace’s Instagram account shared the picture via Stories on Monday. The photo showed a clear blue lake surrounded by mountains, all tinged with a filter of fog and possibly even rain. “Traveling to the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park,” the caption read, along with a helicopter emoji. The photo was also notably credited to “The Duke of Sussex.”
Just a few days prior, Markle made her own contribution to the Kensington Palace social media accounts, sharing a photo of her husband taking the stage as they rehearsed their speeches for the Invictus Games’ closing ceremony on Saturday. The black and white snapshot shows a dapper Harry walking across the stage in a dark button-down shirt while holding a microphone.
The photo was tweeted with a caption reading, in part, “ The Duchess of Sussex.”
Ever since news broke that Markle and Harry were dating back in late 2016, the former Suits star has had to be cautious about her presence on social media; she gave up her personal social media accounts following her engagement to Harry in December 2017. With the exception of Princess Eugenie, none of the royals have personal social media accounts.
Despite venturing onto their official business account to help update the public, the couple will likely be cautious about avid social media usage. Even on their tour, Markle and Harry have addressed the downside of frequent social media use. On Monday, the Duchess of Sussex gave a speech to volunteers from a mental health organization about the perils of social media.
“You don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter,” she noted. “Your judgment of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrapped their first royal tour together, which will included stops in Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. At the Abel Tasman National Park over the weekend, the pair learned more about its local conservation program, and Harry offered up a few sweet words of greeting to the gathered crowds.
“From myself, my wife and our little bump, we are so grateful to be here,” he said, according to People. “We bring blessings from my grandmother the Queen and our family. We are so grateful for your hospitality and the work to look after this beautiful place.”
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