Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Unfollowed Everyone on Instagram

Stephanie Petit

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s exclusive list of follows on Instagram just got wiped down to zero.

Although the royal parents have over 9 million followers on their social media platform — which they launched in April — they’re now asking for suggestions on worthwhile causes and people to follow.

“For the month of August we look to you for help,” Meghan and Harry said in a post on their joint Instagram account. “We want to know who YOUR Force for Change is.”

“Over the next few days please add your suggestions into the comments section: someone you look up to, the organisation doing amazing work that we should all be following, an account that inspires you to be and do better (or that simply makes you feel good), or the handle that brims with optimism for a brighter tomorrow,” the post continued.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty

Meghan and Harry said they will choose 15 accounts and begin following them on Monday, August 5.

Forces for Change is also the name of Meghan’s guest-edited September issue of British Vogue, which features “a diverse selection of women from all walks of life, each driving impact and raising the bar for equality, kindness, justice and open-mindedness” on the cover.

View this post on Instagram

For the month of August we look to you for help. We want to know who YOUR Force for Change is.... Each month, we change the accounts we follow to highlight various causes, people or organisations doing amazing things for their communities and the world at large. Over the next few days please add your suggestions into the comments section: someone you look up to, the organisation doing amazing work that we should all be following, an account that inspires you to be and do better (or that simply makes you feel good), or the handle that brims with optimism for a brighter tomorrow. We will choose 15 accounts and follow them next Monday, as we spend the month of August acknowledging the Forces for Change in all of our lives.

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 31, 2019 at 4:00pm PDT

In May, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex unfollowed all the royal family accounts (even the Queen didn’t make the cut!) and announced that they will change their following list each month to reflect charities and organizations surrounding different causes.

They honored Mental Health Awareness Month in May by only following organizations that work to “promote mental well-being, mental fitness, body positivity, self-care, and the importance of human connection.” The accounts include Heads Together (the royals’ mental health initiative), Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way Foundation, Headspace, Pandas Foundation and Oprah Winfrey‘s SuperSoul Sunday talk show.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the US and May 13-19 is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. To pay tribute to all of the incredible work people across the globe are doing in this space, we are hoping to shine a light on several Instagram accounts that promote mental well-being, mental fitness, body positivity, self-care, and the importance of human connection - to not just hear each other, but to listen. There are countless organisations doing amazing work for mental health - please consider the accounts we’ve highlighted as a small snapshot of this global support network. We are all in this together. We invite you to explore the extraordinary stories of strength, and the commitment to kindness as seen in the above accounts. Each month we will honour this same concept and change the accounts we solely follow based on a different theme or cause. Please go to our homepage and click “following” to see each of the select accounts and find out more about their work. Please note: Images shared are from some of the handles we are now following

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Apr 30, 2019 at 3:47pm PDT

Meghan, who celebrates her 38th birthday on Sunday, and Prince Harry, 34, celebrated Pride Month in June by following accounts supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and they highlighted organizations focused on environmental conversation for July.

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Continuing with our tradition to rotate the accounts we follow based on causes and social issues that matter to us: For the month of June we “proudly” shine a light on PRIDE. This month we pay tribute to the accounts supporting the LGBTQ+ community - those young and old, their families and friends, accounts that reflect on the past and are hopeful for a deservedly more inclusive future. We stand with you and support you 🌈 Because it’s very simple: love is love. Images above from the accounts we are now following and artist Ruben Guadalupe Marquez

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on May 31, 2019 at 10:10pm PDT

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