Why Meghan Markle shut down her secret Instagram account last month

'It really got to her.'

Back in December, Meghan Markle's old Instagram account was reactivated. When she started dating Prince Harry, her entire online presence disappeared and fans could no longer read her blog, The Tig, or see her photos on social media.

So as soon as people realised that they could see snaps of the Duchess of Sussex pre-royal life, they were quick to scrawl through her feed and screenshot some of their favourite pictures. It was quickly deactivated again, with insiders claiming the slip-up had been a technical glitch.

While Meghan wasn't hoping for an Instagram comeback, she was reportedly using the social media platform in secret.

According to The Sun, the Duchess of Sussex had kept a 'fake' Instagram account in order to keep up to date with her family and friends. However, she allegedly made the decision to close it down just before Christmas.

A source told the paper: 'Since she shut down her public Instagram, she’d had a fake account to follow her friends.

'There was some really vile stuff written by social media trolls and obviously she also saw the headlines about her.

'It really got to her and, in the end, she had to shut down that account just before Christmas, too, to protect her mental health. She felt very isolated and alone.'

Meghan has been dealing with an onslaught of negative press over the last few months, and it has reportedly taken its toll on the Duchess.

A royal insider told US Weekly: 'She’s always relied on her own voice to stand up for others, and for herself. So not being able to say anything is a debilitating feeling.

'She’s always been so independent, her entire life, and that’s all been taken away from her. She’s always been able to clap back on social media and now she can’t.'