Meghan Markle posts new beachside video as she makes solo return to Instagram

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle marked her solo return to Instagram by posting a light-hearted video on her account, @meghan, which now boasts 221,000 followers.

In the clip, the 43-year-old walks along the shoreline near her Montecito home draws "2025" in the sand, and runs off laughing.

Meghan Markle once vowed she and Prince Harry would never return to Instagram

The video, believed to have been filmed by Prince Harry, is Meghan Markle’s first post since rumors of her Instagram comeback surfaced in 2023.

It confirms her ownership of the account, which had reportedly been dormant since its creation more than a year ago.

Meghan and Harry had previously vowed never to return to social media after citing “almost unsurvivable” online abuse.

Shortly after her 2017 engagement, Meghan deactivated her personal accounts in January 2018, the couple ceased activity on their joint @sussexroyal Instagram account in 2020.

Their decision to remain inactive on Instagram comes after the pair announced their plan to not become financially dependent on the royal family and to step back from their roles as working royals.

At the time, a Kensington 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 them for some time she has taken the decision to close them," the insider noted, according to Daily Mail.

Meghan Markle's long-awaited comeback on Instagram

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's final post on the Sussex Royal account reflected on the Covid-19 pandemic, with a message of resilience and optimism.

“While you may not see us here, the work continues,” the couple wrote.

"Thank you to this community — for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world," they continued.

"We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great! Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another," they added.

However, the Duchess hinted at a return during a 2022 interview with The Cut, saying, “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back…on Instagram.”

Meghan originally secured the Instagram account in 2022 ahead of launching her 'Archetypes' podcast but chose not to go live with it at the time.

Now, nearly five years after her last Instagram post, she is officially back.

The move signaled a new chapter for the Duchess, who appears ready to reconnect with the digital world while continuing her work in the US.