Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie: How British royals are paving the way for a new wave of royal motherhood, and are creating boundaries around showing their royal children on social media

The British royal family has seen many eras throughout its time, but it may be facing its most unprecedented yet. 

With the rise of social media has come access into the lives of high-profile lives like never before, and royals are not immune to the bug.

Alongside us, they are trying to figure out how to straddle the line between status and relatability – especially when it comes to parenting. 

Unlike royals before her, Princess Eugenie of York is prone to using social media to show what she and her young family are up to.

Watch the video above

READ MORE: Little-known supermarket policy that scores you a free roast chicken

Her Instagram account is filled with images of herself, her husband Jack Brooksbank and her children August, three and Ernest, two.

Although it comes with two caveats – online is the only place we can see them, and we can only see the backs of her children’s heads, 

Her sons have not made their public debut, unlike their cousins the Wales children who were photographed the day they were born on the steps of the Lindo Wing outside of St Mary’s Hospital in their parents’ arms, like many other royal children before them.

For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

All the defining photos of the British royal family in 2025

Perhaps due to the fact she herself grew up in the public eye as a granddaughter of a reigning monarch, Eugenie has made sure to take total control of how her children are perceived through the new medium.

Another royal who has made similar moves is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

With the recent unveiling of her new Instagram account, fans are getting more glimpses of her children Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, three, than ever before. 

READ MORE: William issues emotional message after brutal attack

The children have been seen exploring their garden, making sweet treats, and most recently watching the sun set on their birthdays, showing a whole new side to the children and the Sussex family.

But again, the glimpses stop at the back of the head and only online.

Meghan and her husband Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex have made their disdain towards social media use for kids no secret, making sure to keep strict boundaries between their private and public lives.

A fortnight ago, they released strong statements after opening a memorial for children who have lost their lives to social media.

READ MORE: William issues emotional message after brutal attack

Via their charity the Archewell Foundation and its Parent’s Network, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex unveiled the The Lost Screen Memorial, which showed the photos of 50 different children who lost their lives to online harm, displayed on TV screens styled in the form of a smartphone lock screen. 

The couple toured the exhibit and paid tribute to the children alongside their parents during a vigil.

In its wake, Prince Harry said he was glad his two children were too young to be online.

READ MORE: Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet finally make their red carpet debut

“Life is better off of social media. We’re just grateful that our kids are too young to be on social media,” he said at the event as per Business Insider.

He acknowledged that the solution is not as simple as keeping kids off social media, sharing, “The sad reality is that the kids who aren’t on social media normally get bullied at school because they can’t be part of the same conversations as everybody else.'” 

However, he did call on social media companies to have more accountability and provide grieving parents with data. 

“This is a growing crisis. Social media is quietly taking our children, and those with the power to make change are failing to act.”

READ MORE: Liam Payne left $50m fortune without making a will

Meghan added in her own Instagram post, “We can all agree that we want our children to be safe from harm. That is a universal truth.

“If you choose to be on social media, let’s be the example for our youth, sharing goodness and kindness and positivity.

“Let’s tell our children that they are enough, and that this life is worth living.”

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.