LONDON: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle abandoned social media after being disillusioned with the “hatred” they found on sites like Facebook and Twitter, a UK newspaper reported on Sunday.
The couple was rejecting social media both personally and professionally, as part of their new “progressive role” in the United States, the Sunday Times said.
A source close to the couple told the newspaper that they “had no plans” to use social media for their new Archewell Foundation and were “very unlikely” to restart using the platforms in person.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who moved to California last year after abruptly resigning from British royal duties, have already had prominent online presence.
They have accumulated more than 10 million Instagram followers for their Sussex Royal account while working for royalty.
But the couple had also complained about their treatment on social media, as well as in the British press.
Meghan described her trolling past as “almost impossible to survive”, while Harry issued an unprecedented statement in 2016 denouncing “the racial tones of comments” and “the sexism and racism of social media trolls”.
Last year, they launched a large nonprofit organization, Archewell, after giving up its “Sussex Royal” brand as part of the terms of its departure from the duties of the frontline monarchy.
They started other creative ventures, including signing a contract with Spotify to produce podcasts that tell “uplifting and fun stories”.
The couple also signed a multi-year contract, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars, with streaming giant Netflix to produce “impact” movies and series.
Meanwhile, Markle, a former television actress, narrated a wildlife documentary on Disney + in 2020.
