The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have set up their own official Instagram account.
Harry and Meghan, who are expecting a baby this month, said @SussexRoyal would be used to share the work that drives them, and important announcements.
The move comes as the duke and duchess are splitting their household from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whose Instagram account is @KensingtonRoyal.
In a message on their first post, Harry and Meghan thanked people for their support, saying: “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.”
Kensington Palace’s Twitter feed introduced the new account, saying: “Welcome to Instagram, SussexRoyal!”
Welcome to Instagram, SussexRoyal!
Follow for more on the work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ? https://t.co/qN4RncphDl pic.twitter.com/HpPdVNznrF
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 2, 2019
Harry and Meghan’s first post also included a gallery of photos of them on engagements around the world, including on trips to Australia and Fiji.
Former actress Meghan revealed only last month that she does not read newspapers or engage with Twitter to avoid getting “muddled” by the “noise”, whether positive or negative.
The duchess’s admission came when she joined a panel of feminists and national figures to mark International Women’s Day.
“And for me that’s a tricky one because I’m not part of any of that.”
Ex-Suits star Meghan used to have her own personal Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as a lifestyle website thetig.com, but closed them down ahead of her wedding to Harry.
The Sussexes’ new Instagram account has been introduced less than a month after the royal family published new guidelines for members of the public interacting with them on social media.
This followed news that Kensington Palace staff were spending hours each week moderating online abuse aimed at Kate and pregnant Meghan.
Some of the worst, hate-filled personal abuse is said to be between rival fans of the duchesses.
Today we have published guidelines for interacting with The Royal Family, @ClarenceHouse and @KensingtonRoyal social media channels. Read in full here: https://t.co/b57TjSn09d
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 4, 2019
The royal family’s website said the guidelines were introduced to try to maintain a safe environment on channels run by the three households, and it called for users to show “courtesy, kindness and respect”.
Harry warned against the perils of social media at the WE Day UK event in March.
He told schoolchildren and students at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London: “If we look at the world we’re living in, I know it can feel challenging sometimes, but your role is to shine the light.
“But you don’t let them sway you.”
At the moment, Harry and Meghan do not have a separate Twitter account, but their names have been removed from the @KensingtonRoyal Twitter account bio, which now reads: “The official account of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Royal Foundation, based at Kensington Palace.”
@Sussexroyal on Twitter is not associated with the royal family, and is used by a Kevin Keiley, who currently has 26 followers and whose bio reads simply “Sussex”.
This is now likely to receive scores of notifications thanks to Harry and Meghan’s new identical Instagram handle.
The new @SussexRoyal Instagram account notched up nearly 300,000 followers within an hour of launching – including Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney and celebrities David Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Princess Eugenie posted a picture of Harry and Meghan on her own account with the message “Welcome cousins. @sussexroyal”.
