Meghan Markle officially became royalty when she married Prince Harry on May 19, and as such, she’s had to give up several perks of civilian life, one being the freedom to run her own social media accounts.
After her engagement to Harry was announced in November 2017, Markle’s Instagram account was soon deleted. Her lifestyle blog, The Tig, had also been shuttered in April 2017, making it clear that anything shared by Markle from then on would likely be done solely through an official royal channel.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Now, fans can get updates on the Duchess of Sussex through Kensington Palace’s social media channels, which also follow Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton, all of whom are working royals who do not have social media of their own.
Unfortunately for fans, that means no more carefully curated snaps from Markle herself — but we’ll always have screenshots. In honor of the Duchess’ 37th birthday on Aug. 4, we look back at her best photos!
Travel shots
While Markle will still get to travel the world as a royal — she and Harry recently headed to Ireland for their first foreign visit as a married couple — she’ll no longer be able to pick up and fly to any destination of her choice. Prior to its deletion, the 36-year-old’s Instagram account was full of gorgeous travel shots, including this photo of Markle posing on the Italian coast.
Selfies
Markle’s account, like many others, was also full of selfies, including this shot, which served as the Duchess’ profile picture. It’s safe to say the photo wouldn’t exactly be royally approved thanks to the tousled hair, tank top and bedsheets, but Markle’s followers likely didn’t mind.
Dog mom
While Markle was mom to two dogs — lab/shepherd mix Bogart and beagle Guy — she had to leave Bogart behind when she made the move to the U.K. to permanently live with Harry.
“This is a permanent decision that Meghan made on her own — not an easy one at that,” a spokesperson for Kensington Palace told The Blast. “It takes a toll on an animal to travel so far across Atlantic combined with the hard, long process of getting approval … it’s in the best interest of the animal’s well being to stay.”
Behind-the-scenes
Before becoming a working royal, Markle starred on USA’s Suits, playing paralegal Rachel Zane for seven seasons. As many actors do, Markle used her social media accounts to share various behind-the-scenes moments from the show, including this shot her getting ready to film.
Close pals
The royal was never afraid to share a photo with a friend, often featuring those close to her on her account, like she did in this photo of herself and stylist Jessica Mulroney. The two have been friends for years, and Mulroney is reportedly still helping Markle when it comes to her royal style, with Hello! Canada reporting that Mulroney helped style the Duchess for her recent trip to Ireland.
Good food
The Duchess is a noted fan of good food, and often posted plenty of delicious-looking snaps to her Instagram page. However, her new life as a royal dictates that she follow certain rules when it comes to chowing down, including no longer eating shellfish and ceasing all dining as soon as the Queen has finished eating.
Famous friends
Occasionally, Markle’s famous friends would appear on her Instagram, with actress Priyanka Chopra popping up for this shot of the duo attending the Broadway show Hamilton in New York City. Chopra would later go on to attend Markle’s wedding to Harry.
Bridesmaid days
Before her turn as one of the most-watched brides ever, Markle served as a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. A photo from the day sees her in a blush-colored gown with bow detailing at the back of the neck, clutching a bouquet as she stands in an elaborately decorated room that offered a bit of foreshadowing for her trips to various royal residencies.
Two bananas
In what is considered to be a cheeky nod to her relationship with Harry, Markle posted this snap of two bananas with faces drawn on them in marker in October 2016. The snap came as Harry was rumored to be visiting his future wife at her home in Toronto.
“Sleep tight xx,” Markle wrote.
A Harry appearance?
Back in October 2016, Markle posted this photo of a redheaded man wearing a Golden Girls sweatshirt that reads “Dorothy on the streets, Blanche in the sheets.” While the shot was never confirmed to be of Harry, it’s a fair guess to say that it is, as the couple was confirmed to have started dating in July 2016.
“I take full responsibility for this sweatshirt,” the photo’s caption read. “He wears it well. #goldengirls #truth.”
Photo Credit: Instagram / Meghan Markle
