Meghan Markle's new Instagram page has sparked debate about her use of the royal title. The Duchess of Sussex, who has been inactive on social media for over six years, surprised fans by posting her first post on the new account, which has the simple handle of @meghan.
In the post, Meghan is seen running along a beach in California before stopping to write '2025' in the wet sand. Just hours later, Meghan also released a trailer for her upcoming Netflix series, 'With Love, Meghan'.
Although the account's handle was solely her name, the name on her account was quietly changed from 'Meghan' to 'Meghan, Duchess of Sussex'. This has seemingly caused many to question - almost five years since she stepped away from royal duties - whether she should be allowed to use her royal title.
A poll conducted by Express.co.uk asked fans whether they thought Meghan should be allowed to use her royal title on her Instagram account. A massive 98 percent [7,486 votes] said that she should not be using her royal title on her Instagram account, whilst just two percent [126 votes] said that she should include it.
"No. It's serving herself and herself alone, not her so called philanthropic endeavours even. What is clear is that as social media advances, rules need to catch up..."
"I don't know why she insists on using a title. She was a royal for about a minute and a half. She was on vacation, maternity leave, mental health days etc. before she bolted back to the US. She never really was a royal..."
Another royal fan simply commented, "Absolutely not....", whilst a fourth fan wrote, "No! She left the Royal Family they should not be able to use their titles to get anything! King Charles or The Parliament needs to take away their titles ones and for all!!
12 Comments
Pupsik
She's still a Duchess, even if she's not working as a royal. It's part of her identity.
Marishka
She's a breath of fresh air in the stuffy world of royalty.
Pupsik
She's not hurting anyone. Let her do her thing.
Marishka
This is a slap in the face to the British people. They funded her lavish lifestyle and now she's using her title for personal gain?
Pupsik
Can't she just be Meghan Markle? Why does she need the 'Duchess' attached to her name?
Muchacha
She's not using her title for commercial purposes, so I don't see the problem.
Coccinella
She's making a difference in the world, and we should be grateful for her.
Habibi
She's breaking down barriers and challenging the status quo. We need more people like her.
Africa
I'm so disappointed in her. I used to admire her, but not anymore.
Mariposa
She's a changemaker, and we should support her in her endeavors.
ZmeeLove
She's a role model for women and girls, and we should support her.
Habibi
This is a clear breach of protocol. She should be stripped of her title!