The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially hit 11 million followers on Instagram, overtaking the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Kensington Royal account by thousands. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, who run Sussex Royal, have seen a huge increase in their following since they announced they will be stepping down as senior members of the royal family. Their account will soon reach 11.1 million followers with 11,032,936 followers, while Kensington Royal sits at 11 million.
© Photo: InstagramSussex Royal launched in April 2019
The Kensington Palace Instagram account, which launched in 2015, originally highlighted the work of Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry, and subsequently Meghan in 2018 when she joined the royal family. Since setting up their account, the Cambridges have kept their posts non-exclusive and all the photos have been accredited to royal photographers. But in recent years, Prince William and Kate have been publishing their own pictures of their children on their birthdays (taken by the Duchess) on social media, while also releasing them to agencies.
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Meanwhile, Sussex Royal was first launched in April 2019, shortly after the split from Harry and Meghan's joint office with the Cambridges. The couple, who are now starting their new life in Canada, often share photos from official engagements and never-before-seen snaps. They also use their platform to highlight causes and charities they have worked with. Each month, they focus on just one topic by following related accounts to help promote their message.
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When the Instagram account was first set up, many royal fans believed that Meghan was personally running Sussex Royal. The former Suits star was an avid user of the platform before she closed down her social media accounts and her lifestyle website The Tig. From the personal "thank you" in response to well wishes from their followers after the birth of baby Archie to the use of Americanisms and emojis, it suggested Meghan was writing the captions.
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