Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Quit Social Networks Due to 'Unsurvivable' Trolling, Report Says

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior royals last January to live a "financially independent" life. The news reportedly came as a shock to the members of the British royal family, and Harry is said to be meeting with the Queen later to discuss how the arrangement was working.

Famous members of the UK royal family Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have abandoned their social media after experiencing "almost unsurvivable" trolling online over the past year, The Sunday Times reported Saturday, citing a source close to the couple.

According to the newspaper, Harry and Meghan are set for a "digital detox" and are not going to use Twitter or Facebook in the foreseeable future.

The royal couple issued its latest public social media statement to date on Instagram in late March, thanking their followers, of which there are more than 10 million at the moment, for their support amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sussexes wrote in the post "While you may not see us here, the work continues."

The news follows last October's revelation of Meghan, when she said she was "the most trolled person in the world" in 2019, and urged the teens participating in Mental Health Day to speak out freely about it.

"I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female", the duchess said. "I don’t care if you’re 15 or you’re 25 - if people are saying things about you that aren’t true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging." 

Prince Harry supported his spouse, slamming negative comments from netizens who "hide behind usernames", and added that being vulnerable should not be seen as a person's weakness, but rather the opposite.

"There are things that are said digitally that nobody would say in person”, Harry added. "I think putting your self-care as a priority is hugely important, because vulnerability is not a weakness, showing vulnerability in today's world especially, is a strength."

In the same month last year, the Duke of Sussex shared a thought that people should "take back control" of their social media and devices, adding that social platforms are "distracting us from the things we should be focused on".

The royal pair came under a whirlwind after their decision to part from the royal family last year, brilliantly dubbed "Megxit" by the British media. The couple subsequently moved to California, where they have been staying for most of the year. 

Prince Harry is expected to go back to his homeland in March – to review the 12-month transition period with Buckingham Palace upon the Sussexes departure from their royal duties. The plans however have reportedly been postponed due to the outbreak of the new COVID-19 strain in the UK, which is believed to be much more contagious than the previous strains, with many nations suspending all unnecessary travel to the kingdom.