Meghan Markle's 'identity not revealed in negotiations for new Instagram account handle'

In her first post on Wednesday, the mother-of-two shared a clip of herself walking towards the shoreline near her Montecito home.

The video shows Meghan drawing the digits "2025" in the sand before running off camera with a giggle.

The verified account, which follows no other users, has already attracted significant attention despite having remained empty since its creation.

This marks her first return to social media since stepping away from royal duties in 2020.

Branding expert Emily M Austen revealed the coveted @meghan handle was likely acquired through careful negotiations.

"Most likely, Meghan (or her team), will have used a website to negotiate through a third party, the handle, and will likely have had to pay for ownership," she told the Mail.

The process typically involves purchasing the handle from a previous owner, as "Meghan" is not a unique name.

"Meghan likely used a third party which would mean her identity would remain hidden. Most sellers start with a guide price, which can go from £160 to £16,000 depending on the desirability of the handle," Austen explained.

The expert suggested the Instagram handle could be a way for Meghan to control her own narrative.

"Her own Instagram handle means that she can be in total control of what she is posting, when, and who she is interacting with," she added.

Talent representative Raymani Zaloumis suggested the price for acquiring the handle would have been substantial.

"Short, common, or celebrity-related usernames are highly sought after, often commanding premium prices," he explained to the Mail.

According to Zaloumis, while the exact amount is difficult to predict, such handles can "range in value from tens of thousands to even hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The acquisition reflects a growing trend of celebrities securing premium social media handles.

Instagram's guidelines state handles are given on a "first-come, first-served basis," making single-name usernames particularly rare.

Digital marketing expert Akshay Makadiya noted that celebrities often have easier access to specific usernames, with transfers typically involving financial transactions or negotiations with original users.

The account was initially created in June 2022, featuring a profile picture of pink dahlias, now replaced with a black and white portrait of the duchess.

Experts in 2023 predicted Meghan could earn £790,000 per post "as an absolute minimum" on the platform.

These predictions suggested she could become one of the top ten highest-paid influencers globally.

Page Six previously reported that while the account was set up around two years ago, the duchess chose to focus on her Archetypes podcast series with Spotify instead.

The launch comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had previously vowed never to return to social media, citing an "almost unsurvivable" amount of abuse.

The account shows the username has been changed once since its creation, though it currently displays no bio information.