The Duchess of Sussex marked the start of 2025 with her highly anticipated return to Instagram. On New Year’s Day, Meghan Markle, 43, shared her first post on her new account, @meghan, a heartfelt reel filmed by her husband, Prince Harry.
The video captured a carefree Meghan running along an empty beach near their Montecito home, dressed in an all-white ensemble. In the clip, she inscribed “2025” into the sand with a joyful flourish before laughing and darting out of the frame.
While the charming simplicity of the video delighted fans, a few subtle details escaped initial notice. For one, eagle-eyed viewers spotted what appeared to be Meghan’s first attempt at writing “2025” in the sand, visible in the corner before she slowed down to create her final, polished version.
The revision hinted at her desire to perfect the moment before sharing it with her audience.
Additionally, the sand displayed a set of large footprints near Meghan’s “2025.” Since she was barefoot in the video, the footprints likely belonged to Harry, who was behind the camera.
Notably, Meghan chose to disable the comments section on her post, utilizing Instagram’s feature that allows users to turn off comments.
The reel was an instant hit, garnering likes from Meghan’s close circle, including polo player Nacho Figueras, Kelly McKee Zajfen, Serena Williams, and photographer Jake Rosenberg, who captured her striking black-and-white profile picture. The image shows Meghan laughing in a white summer dress, her hair loose, accessorized with a simple necklace.
Since launching her account, Meghan has already amassed over half a million followers.
This marks her first Instagram presence since 2020, when she and Harry stepped down as senior royals and ceased using their Sussex Royal account. That account had been used for significant announcements, including the birth of their son, Prince Archie, and their “Megxit” statement.
In a 2022 interview with The Cut, Meghan teased her eventual return to social media, saying, “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back… on Instagram.” Her New Year’s Day post marks the realization of that promise, delighting fans eager to follow her next chapter.
