Why Meghan Markle’s new Instagram is bad news for Kate Middleton

Meghan hasn’t even been back on Instagram for a week, and already her new account is causing problems — and Kate is the biggest loser.

The Rock has 137 million, Selena Gomez has 148 million and even Vin Diesel has 53 million so in contrast 4.1 million Instagram followers is pretty small (organic Duchy of Cornwall) potatoes.

However when the account in question belongs to a couple of young lovebirds named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it is a whole new ball game.

In the only five days since they launched their very own brand-spanking account, @Sussexroyal has surely become the world’s most watched Insta, passing the one million follower mark in world-record time. (If only 2015 Tig-era Meghan could see herself now — #Ladyboss #Proud.)

In the coming weeks, their account is only going to grow exponentially and there is a very good chance that we will see the first shots of Baby Sussex right there — insert praying hands emoji here.

Already, they have given us loved up shots of them charming the people, babies and animals of the world.

However, there will come a point in the very near future when something else momentous will happen — the Sussex’s Insta account will overtake that of the Cambridges’ @KensingtonRoyal (7.4 million followers) setting up a social media face-off that could rattle the royal establishment.

Writing in the Sunday Times this weekend, the paper’s royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah mused that competing accounts could “jeopardise royal harmony” and “may cause unexpected grief back home”. Her argument: pitting couple against couple in a global popularity contest is only going to cause headaches.

Meghan and Kate have been pitted against each other from the start. Picture: Chris Jackson/AFP

Until now, the social media stars of the royal family were clearly the photogenic Cambridges, all fresh-faced and no-doubt smelling of Jo Malone body wash. No one was concerned if the Duke of York’s account (which is sadly not @RandyAndy) racked up more likes than Prince Edward’s.

But the “Fab Four” has ushered in a new age in which the two Wales brothers lives and wives exist in a constant state of comparison and these accounts only provide a new frontier for constantly tabulating who is more widely liked by the fawning, fickle public.

Secondly, the Palace must now be bracing themselves for fact that duelling accounts will only breathe more life into the Meghan vs Kate deathmatch that has been playing out in the media for months.

Since the day Meghan moved into the royal household with her collection of Diptyque candles and crate of beloved Lululemon in tow, the media narrative has relentlessly pitted the former actress against her sister-in-law, Kate. Who is more stylish? Spends more on couture frocks? Gets to sit nearest the Queen while rewatching Game of Thrones?

Forget “sources” telling the British tabloids about the royal ructions going on behind the chintz curtains — this is a whole new paradigm. Reporters will be now be able to scrutinise their accounts for clues as to what is going on behind the Palace gates. Which account didn’t like the other’s page? Was that comment from the other account snarky?

Kate and Meghan are apparently at odds. Picture: Trevor Adams/Matrixpictures.co.uk

Meghan is due to give birth to her first child any day now. Picture: Chris Jackson/AP

Lastly, there is the question of the private toll this clash might take. All of us, HRHs or not, have egos and are deeply susceptible to how well-received the latest sweet shot of our baby and pic of us in our simply DI-VINE new lilac fascinator are.

Should you have a sister-in-law who is generating significantly more Instagram love, that would be #galling.

The clear winners though here are us, their subjects. We will now get double the number of candid shots of the Wales husbands and wives (and tiny, gorgeous sproglets) and that is only a good thing in my book — #blessed.