After Meghan Markle’s unexpected return to social media, some of her followers have speculated that a detail on her new Instagram profile might hint at a secret divorce from Prince Harry. While neither Meghan nor Harry has addressed such rumors, these online theories have quickly gained traction.
Meghan marked the start of 2025 by rejoining social media after a four-year hiatus. She and Prince Harry had previously deactivated their profiles in 2021, three years after their wedding, reportedly due to the relentless criticism they faced after relocating from the UK to the US. At the time, Elle Magazine noted their decision to step away from the negativity.
Yesterday, Meghan shared her first post on Instagram under the handle @meghan. The video featured her running barefoot along a beach, writing “2025” in the sand. Her return to the platform has already drawn millions of followers, some of whom are curious about her chosen title on the account.
For Instagram users, a profile title appears at the top of the page in addition to the handle. Meghan’s title reads, “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.” While this may seem like a reasonable choice, a subtle omission—specifically, the absence of the word “The” before “Duchess of Sussex”—has sparked speculation among a few observant followers about possible marital discord.
One user posted on X (formerly Twitter): “So Meghan is back on Instagram under her own name. To start with, it was just ‘Meghan,’ but now ‘Duchess of Sussex’ has been added. BUT did any of you notice… The is missing from her title. In other words, she is sharing a title of a divorced ‘Duchess.’ That THE is very important.”
Why does the missing “The” matter? Historically, when a member of the Royal Family divorces, they lose “The” in their formal title and instead receive what’s called a Courtesy Title. This change was evident when Princess Diana divorced King Charles; her title shifted from “Diana, The Princess of Wales” to “Diana, Princess of Wales.”
While the omission of “The” from Meghan’s Instagram title could simply be an oversight by her team, it hasn’t stopped rumors from spreading online. One user commented: “Meghan’s Instagram has already had an update, changing her name in the profile from ‘Meghan’ to ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.’ Hopefully, we’ll see another update, as she left out the ‘The’ in her title. No ‘The’ before Duchess of Sussex means she is a divorcee.”
Another speculated: “Interesting! She does have a tendency to not use the title correctly by including the ‘The’ in ‘Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.’ Is it in preparation for a divorce?”
A third chimed in: “She’s already styled herself a divorcee. ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’ is the divorced style.”
Tyla has reached out to representatives of both Meghan and the Royal Family for comment. As of now, these speculations remain unconfirmed, leaving the public to wonder if there’s more to Meghan’s Instagram title than meets the eye.