On Jan. 1, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, unveiled a verified Instagram account with the handle @meghan and has amassed 1.4 million followers in the week since. After almost five years away from social media, a source says Meghan is "excited" to make her Instagram comeback, where she plans to spread "joy" and share updates on her latest projects.

Meghan's return to Instagram under her own name comes nearly five years after she and Harry closed their @sussexroyal Instagram account after they stepped down from their senior roles in the British royal family and had to stop using the Sussex Royal brand.

Meghan Markle spent much of the past few years attacking big social media firms for their reckless failure to protect the mental health of children and young adults, but she shifted course radically last week with a brand new Instagram account.