Meghan Markle celebrated her 40th birthday earlier this month, bringing the whirlwind decade of her thirties to an end. Since turning 30, she shot to stardom in legal drama Suits, met her now-husband Prince Harry, and welcomed two children into the world. However, not many people know that their royal romance started in the digital world.
Meghan visited London in 2016, wanting to escape Toronto for a girls holiday. She shared much of her visit on her (now closed) Instagram account, but Harry did not have his own public account.
However, Harry did in fact have his own, well-hidden account. The writers explained Meghan began following a “mysterious-looking” Instagram account under the name of @SpikeyMau5. They said: “With no face visible in the profile photo, just a mouse-shaped helmet, it would have meant nothing to most people. “But it was in fact Harry’s private account.”
They explained the reasoning behind Harry’s unusual handle: “A big house music fan, he crafted the pseudonym by using part of the name of one of his favourite DJs, DeadMau5. “Spikey came from a Facebook alias that Harry used for an account he had under the name of Spike Wells.
“‘Spike’ was a nickname sometimes used for the prince, particularly by Scotland Yard officers.” The real matchmaker of this love story was Violet von Westenholz. She had, according to E! News, “been in Harry’s trusted inner circle of friends for years” and knew of his desire to meet someone.
Violet and Meghan’s paths crossed shortly after, and the pair became friends through Violet’s PR work for Ralph Lauren. Katie Nicholl, author of Harry: Life, Loss and Love, recalled the early stages of the romance in Channel 5 documentary ‘Meghan: Where Did It All Go Wrong?’
She said: “Amazingly for a royal romance, it started on Instagram.” The pair looked through each other’s Instagram accounts, liked what they saw, and “it was Violet who really brought them together”, Katie said. “She played matchmaker.”
While Harry’s Instagram account was private, and the type of content he posted remains largely unknown, Meghan’s account certainly wasn’t. Ms Durand and Mr Scobie said a post from Meghan’s Instagram archive revealed the early signs of what was to come.
They wrote: “Much bolder was Meghan’s public Instagram post the same night of their first solo date: a photo of a Love Hearts candy with the inscription ‘Kiss Me’ and the caption ‘Lovehearts in #London’.
“Whether it had meaning to anyone else, Harry got the message.” The couple have since married and quit the Royal Family to pursue a more private life in the United States. They have signed a lucrative deal with Netflix, one which “shows their true colours” according to royal commentator Sophie Elsworth.
She said: “This woke, narcissistic, privileged couple has done nothing but put themselves in the spotlight ever since they fled to the US.”
