One year ago, as 2025 began, Meghan Markle made a carefully calibrated return to Instagram after a seven-year absence.
The Duchess of Sussex marked the moment with a serene beach video, “2025” traced in the sand, and soon after, a glossy trailer for her Netflix series With Love, Meghan. What many people noticed just as quickly as her return, though, was what was missing: comments.
Now, heading into 2026, that decision looks less like a temporary precaution and more like a defining feature of Meghan’s relationship with social media.
Reclaiming Control of Her Online Presence
When Meghan relaunched her personal Instagram account in early January 2025, it was her first time independently managing a social platform since shutting down her account in 2018, ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry.
In the years since, she had only appeared through official royal channels, shared accounts, or branded pages like American Riviera Orchard. This return was different. It was personal, direct, and tightly controlled.
The Backlash and the Bigger Picture
Disabling comments immediately sparked debate. Supporters saw it as a healthy boundary. Critics framed it as avoiding accountability. But as the months passed, the context behind the move became harder to ignore.
The Cost of Online Harassment
Meghan has been open about the toll online harassment took on her mental health. In interviews and in the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries, she described being one of the most targeted individuals online, receiving threats serious enough to involve security teams.
Independent research later supported her claims, showing that a small network of coordinated accounts generated the majority of hateful content directed at her and Prince Harry.
Against that backdrop, turning off comments was not just a stylistic choice. It was a form of self-preservation.
A Different Way to Use Social Media
Throughout 2025, Meghan used Instagram less as a conversation space and more as a broadcast channel. She shared updates about her Netflix projects, offered glimpses into cooking, gardening, and hosting, and subtly reinforced her broader brand values around wellness, intention, and joy.
Engagement still happened—through views, shares, media coverage, and follower growth—but without the daily flood of hostility that once defined her online presence.
A Strategic PR Move
PR experts at the time argued the move was savvy, not evasive. By removing the most volatile element of social media interaction, Meghan maintained control over her narrative while still reaching millions. That assessment appears to have aged well.
Her following grew steadily, sponsorship potential remained strong, and her content continued to spark conversation—just not directly on her page.
Tied to a Broader Mission
The decision also aligned with a larger theme Meghan has returned to repeatedly: building a safer digital culture. Through the Archewell Foundation, she and Harry have spoken about online harm, misinformation, and the real-world consequences of unchecked digital abuse.
Meghan has even floated platform-level changes, like adding a dislike button, to reduce the pressure to engage through vitriol.
One Year On
Looking back from the start of 2026, the most striking part of Meghan’s Instagram return is how little she changed course. Comments stayed off. The tone stayed curated. The focus stayed on projects, not provocation.
For a public figure once defined by constant reaction—tabloid cycles, social media pile-ons, and endless debate—Meghan’s quiet, controlled approach has proven surprisingly durable.
One year later, her Instagram presence is still less about inviting the crowd in and more about deciding what gets shared, and on whose terms.
In an online world that rewards outrage and constant engagement, Meghan Markle’s comment-free Instagram stands as a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful move is choosing not to listen to the noise at all.
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