After nearly a decade of silence, Meghan Markle’s Instagram account sprang to life last month.
The Duchess of Sussex, who had been absent from social media for years, made a highly anticipated return to the platform.
Her previous posts had been rare and calculated, offering brief peeks into her life.
But all that changed during her recent trip to the Invictus Games in Vancouver, where she shared a whirlwind of content with her followers.
A New Strategy Takes Shape
Gone were the occasional posts. Instead, Meghan’s Instagram was flooded with stories, offering followers a curated, behind-the-scenes look at her time at the Games.
From heartwarming moments of Meghan walking hand-in-hand with Prince Harry in the snow to intimate encounters with children at the event, her posts painted a personal, and at times, strategic, picture.
The content quickly became a primary source of coverage from the event, often appearing before official images from the Games themselves.
Her Instagram feed was filled with everything from emotional moments with wounded veterans to lighter, more playful glimpses of the Sussexes’ A-list friendships.
In fact, Meghan’s posts were so frequent—sometimes as many as six stories from a single event—that her feed became an essential narrative tool throughout the Games.
Shifting the Narrative with Instant Access
One of the most notable shifts was how the Sussexes controlled the flow of media coverage.
While journalists covering the event had to rely on official press releases and staged photo ops, Meghan’s Instagram account provided immediate access to exclusive moments.
Stories from “closed” events, which were not accessible to the press, appeared on her feed almost instantly.
This included everything from a surprise performance by Michael Bublé to personal moments shared between Meghan and Harry.
Her Instagram wasn’t just a platform for personal connection; it also became a powerful PR tool.
The couple’s team appeared to be running a parallel operation to the Invictus PR team, ensuring that the Sussexes’ images were strategically curated and released.
The emphasis on creating polished, shareable content was clear.
Meghan’s Personal Branding Takes Center Stage
As Meghan shared more stories, the focus began to shift from simply highlighting the Games to emphasizing her own personal brand.
With her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, set to launch soon, many speculated that her social media activity at the Invictus Games was tied to boosting her profile ahead of the show’s debut.
Meghan’s wardrobe, too, became a talking point.
From high-end outfits to carefully captured moments, her fashion choices received as much attention as her involvement in the Games themselves.
Even casual moments were meticulously framed.
Posts showing Meghan kneeled beside a veteran or walking with Harry in artfully styled photos felt like intentional branding.
The influence of celebrity culture in philanthropic efforts has always existed, but Meghan’s approach raised questions about how much of her involvement was about supporting the Invictus cause versus furthering her own public image.
The Controversy of Curated Coverage
For journalists accustomed to reporting from the Games, Meghan’s social media activity felt like a break from tradition.
Many reporters were frustrated by the growing number of “closed” events at this year’s Games, especially when key moments were being shared exclusively on Meghan’s Instagram.
Some questioned whether the tightly controlled narrative meant the Games were becoming more about the Sussexes than about the athletes themselves.
The inclusion of professional videographers and photographers following the couple everywhere they went seemed to signal that the Sussexes were running their own media operation, separate from the official coverage.
While this approach was a hit with fans on social media, it left some questioning whether Invictus was benefiting as much as Meghan was from the attention.
A Taste of Canada and the Invictus Legacy
As Meghan’s time at the Games wrapped up, her Instagram account offered one last glimpse into her life, this time from her home in Montecito.
A post showing a collection of souvenirs and treats from the trip was shared with a heartwarming message for her children.
While the image was widely shared and praised, it also sparked questions about whether the attention Meghan received at Invictus overshadowed the legacy of the Games themselves.
Her return to social media, timed with the upcoming launch of her Netflix series and lifestyle brand, was anything but spontaneous.
It’s clear that her Instagram presence is a powerful tool for shaping her public image, but whether the Invictus Games benefitted as much as she did from her participation remains up for debate.
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