Meghan Markle fans have noticed an awkward mistake with her new social media title, which unintentionally suggests she has split from Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex made a comeback to the limelight with her individual Instagram account, already amassing nearly 400,000 followers at the time of reporting. She reappeared with the straightforward handle ‘meghan’, and a single post, a video reel.
Although the account is yet to receive a blue tick verification, it is widely believed to be authentic. The video shared by Meghan on New Year’s Day was filmed by her spouse Harry – a clear sign that the pair are still very much in love.
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘solitary’ Christmas snub as they ‘break tradition’
READ MORE: My view on Harry and Meghan after one line in Netflix documentary surprised me
However, this didn’t prevent ardent royal protocol enthusiasts from noticing Meghan seemingly adopting a title typically used by royal divorcees.
The video features the royal and former actress jogging along the beach before she stoops to inscribe ‘2025’ in the damp sand. The video was allegedly shot by her husband Prince Harry amid speculation about their relationship status, reports the Mirror.
The couple have been attending events separately recently and Harry even had to dismiss the rumours last month.
A friend previously stated that they maintain a ‘functional and healthy relationship’ but are simply preoccupied with work. Now, following Meghan’s return to social media, fans highlighted that her profile initially only displayed her first name before it was altered to ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’.
Meghan Markle’s Instagram profile
(Image: Instagram)
A royal fanpage on Twitter sparked speculation about the marital status of Meghan and Harry after noticing a change in Meghan’s Instagram profile. The fanpage posted screenshots of Meghan’s profile before and after the change, writing: “Meghan’s Instagram has already had an update, changing her name in the profile from “Meghan” to “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
“Hopefully we will see another update, as she left out the “The” in her title. No “The” before Duchess of Sussex means she is a divorcee.”
Another user pointed out that Prince Andrew’s ex-wife goes by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. “Meghan’s title is “Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex,” they added.
“She has ‘The’ as she is the spouse of the current title holder. Sarah has no ‘The’ as a divorcee.”
However, it seems unlikely that the name change indicates any change in the couple’s marital status. Harry, who filmed the video Meghan used for her Instagram return, laughed off the rumours of a split, expressing sympathy for the trolls whose “hopes are just built and built, and it doesn’t happen”.
Meghan’s return to Instagram comes after she and Harry spread some festive cheer with their 2024 Christmas card, which featured a joyful family photo. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s card last month showcased a new snap of their children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
The greeting card featured six photos. with one showing the children running towards their parents from behind. Meghan is seen smiling at Archie, and Harry is pictured greeting Lili, echoing his recent comments on her ginger locks, matching her brother’s.
“On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation,” reads the message on the card.