From the beginning, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have always made it clear that they want to do things differently. It's an attitude that the royal family isn't altogether unfamiliar with. Despite the family's great commitment to tradition, there has always been a member here or there who marches to the beat of their own drum. For a long time, that was Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana. These days, Harry and Meghan have taken on a different approach to life as royals.
Many members of the public believed something was amiss when news broke that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were splitting up their combined royal court. While some thought it had to do with a quarrel between the brothers, many blamed it on an alleged feud between Meghan and her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. In reality, neither seems to be the reason. As the Cambridges head more toward the tradition and the throne, Harry and Meghan strive for relative normalcy. Their version of royalty involves using their platform to do good and keeping a low profile otherwise. Now there's a brand-new Instagram account to prove just that.
Meghan Markle has always taken a different approach to being in the public eye. As an actress, she wasn't a tabloid mainstay and focused instead on promoting positive messages.
When people found out Meghan would become part of the royal family, there were some who doubted whether she could make a place for herself. Her lifestyle didn't seem conducive to the traditionalism of the royal family.
By the same token, Prince Harry hasn't always followed the rules. His rowdiness as a teen and young adult often made headlines.
When we first started seeing Harry and Meghan together, it was clear that they had a different dynamic as a couple. The two are dedicated to changing the world and making a difference.
While the royal family is certainly dedicated in its philanthropic pursuits, Harry and Meghan's take is a bit different. They seemingly want to continue the approachability and hands-on demeanor that was Princess Diana's legacy.
Before getting married, Harry used to fulfill many of his royal duties alongside William and Kate. Now things are changing. Contrary to popular gossip, it isn't because of a feud.
As Harry and Meghan pursue the causes they care about, they're going in a different direction than William and Kate. As a result, they've decided to split royal households.
Creating two separate offices requires a few things. For one, the Sussexes' office is moving from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace.
Harry and Meghan are also moving out of their small cottage at Kensington Palace. They'll be living at Windsor in the more spacious Frogmore Cottage starting later this spring.
The first public move has been made in the form of splitting Instagram accounts. Kensington Palace's account (@kensingtonroyal) will now be "the official account of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, based at Kensington Palace," according to its brand-new bio.
Harry and Meghan's public activities will be chronicled on their own account, @sussexroyal. Their first post shows some highlights from the couple's work in the last year.
The first post's caption even features a personal message from the royal couple:
“Welcome to our official Instagram; we look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues. We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal.’ – Harry & Meghan”
Meghan was pretty active on social media before she gave up her accounts for her new role as a royal. She did make a contribution to Kensington Palace's Twitter account with her photo from the Invictus Games.
Harry has also gotten in on it by contributing a shot to Kensington Palace's Instagram account. His photo of Abel Tasman National Park was breathtaking. This sort of hands-on involvement makes us excited to see what's next for Harry and Meghan!
