Who knew that Instagram could cause some royal drama?
Recently, the official Instagram account of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle unfollowed a handful of accounts, including the whole royal family.
So, what gives?
The royal family have had Instagram accounts for a while
When Harry and Meghan opened @sussexroyal in April of 2019, their account quickly racked up the numbers.
To date, they have 5.4 million followers on Instagram — which is more than most of us will have in our lifetimes.
They separated from William and Kate’s account to launch their own
Before they started their own Instagram account, Harry and Meghan shared @kensingtonroyal with William and Kate.
Now, that account is for William and Kate’s family, and has 8 million dedicated followers.
And the Queen even has Instagram!
Well, she has an official account, anyway.
She made history when she sent her first post out, which actually was just her pressing the “share” button on a post someone else wrote. Still, though!
The Queen and the general comings and goings of the family can be found at @theroyalfamily.
Yeah, Charles has Instagram, too
He and Camilla share @clarencehouse.
They’re not as popular as the other royals, though. While the Royal Family, William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan all have over 5 million followers each, Charles and Camilla sit at 745k+.
There’s always room to grow!
When Meghan and Harry joined Instagram, they naturally followed the whole family
That includes William and Kate, the Royal Family account, Charles and Camilla and the individual accounts of Princess Eugenie and Prince Andrew.
So, basically, they did what any regular new Instagram user would do: they followed their family!
Why is any of this important?
Because of what happened next, of course.
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined Instagram, they followed a mere 23 accounts.
However, as of now, they’re only following 16. So, who didn’t make the cut?
They unfollowed many charities and foundations
Among them are causes the couple highlight on their Instagram account, like the Invictus games.
Other accounts include African organizations, like the African Parks Network, and Rhino Conservation Botswana.
Also out? Their entire family
Yup, all of them. Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, even the Queen’s Royal Family account!
No royal was left unfollowed, which raised the question: what the heck is going on?
The Duke and Duchess were quick to answer
In a new Instagram post, the two shed light on the situation: they unfollowed everyone for a very good reason!
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For May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, the two are shedding light on Instagram accounts promoting mental well-being.
Their following list is a recommendation list now
They wrote:
“There are countless organizations doing amazing work for mental health – please consider the accounts we’ve highlighted as a small snapshot of this global support network.”
They tagged multiple accounts in their post.
And they want to use their following list for good
“Each month we will honour this same concept and change the accounts we solely follow based on a different theme or cause.
Please go to our homepage and click “following” to see each of the select accounts and find out more about their work.”
Their new following list is aimed at shining a positive light on mental health initiatives
The continued normalization of seeking help, as well as maintaining good mental health, is an incredible cause to back.
They couple wrote: “To pay tribute to all of the incredible work people across the globe are doing in this space, we are hoping to shine a light on several Instagram accounts that promote mental well-being, mental fitness, body positivity, self-care, and the importance of human connection – to not just hear each other, but to listen.”
They now follow Lady Gaga’s foundation
Among them? Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, which works with youth to empower and inspire them.
Gaga’s foundation focuses on youth mental health and wellness, which is an important cause to Harry and Meghan.
And Jameela Jamil’s body positivity movement
Called @i_weigh, Jameela started the account to celebrate all body types.
It’s clear that the account is honored by their follow, based on their post about it! I don’t blame them at all.
We love a socially conscious couple!
It really looks like Harry and Meghan are eager to try and make a difference.
Here’s all the accounts they’re now following.
Now, when is that new baby getting here, huh?
