Meghan Markle shuts down social media accounts after royal engagement

Megan Markle has closed all of her social media accounts.

Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancée, US actress Meghan Markle, listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM community radio station in Brixton. Picture: Getty Images

Sources confirmed the American actress, who is engaged to Prince Harry, had shut down her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The accounts had been dormant for some time.

The decision was confirmed as Ms Markle spent this afternoon visiting a Brixton based community station with her fiance.

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

Ms Markle’s decision to close her social media accounts is in line with her changing status as she will soon become a member of the royal family when she marries Harry in May.

Senior members of the monarchy have official Twitter and Instagram accounts run by the social media teams of their households, which do not normally feature personal tweets or posts.

The exception is the Duke of York, who sometimes writes tweets himself, but signs them “AY”.

Ms Markle will come under Kensington Palace when she is married to Harry and social media postings will be made on her behalf by its communications staff.

The US actress had 1.9 million people following her posts on Instagram as of last month and more than 350,000 Twitter followers.

Her Facebook page had almost 800,000 likes, according to BBC Online.

Royal watchers were alerted to the growing importance of her relationship with Harry when Ms Markle’s social media postings began to trail off last year.

In April, she shut down her lifestyle website The Tig.

Ms Markle wowed Brixton when Harry brought his bride-to-be to the heart of London’s Caribbean community for their first official visit in the capital.

She chatted, joked and even hugged young presenters from a youth radio station the couple visited to learn more about the work of the not-for-profit broadcaster that trains the presenters, producers and station managers of tomorrow.

And Harry, the self confessed joker of the Royal family, even exchanged an extravagant fist bump with one of the DJs after a little coaching in how to perform the greeting.

Crowds had gathered outside the studios of Reprezent FM.

They cheered and screamed when they were acknowledged by the couple who held hands when they first arrived and later waited in freezing conditions after the 45 minute visit overran by almost half an hour.

The mood after the Royal engagement was summed up by Jeremiah Asiamah, 20, who said: “They became family in the space of five minutes.

“She (is) beautiful, such an amazing character. If there’s any way you could describe a power couple in this modern day and age, it’s definitely them.”

The US actress, who has spoken out on women’s issues, revealed she was well briefed about the visit when she picked out presenter YV Shells, aged 24, for his work promoting women.

She asked him: “Is it you that does a lot of support of the women DJs, right?

“Empowering the women to make sure they’re in a space where it’s not as much (male) driven, to be the man there supporting, I think that’s incredible.”

Harry clearly enjoyed the experience of having his bride-to-be by his side. At one point, he jokingly attempted to sidestep a question about his friend, former US president Barack Obama, saying “she answers the questions”.

Reprezent FM founder Shane Carey, who hosted the visit, said: “From what I saw the young people really like her.

“It’s one thing being excited about royals and celebrities coming to visit it’s another thing when you see the presenters interacting with them.

“She was very natural, she was very engaging and very humorous, she got the young people’s humour and interacted with them a lot.”