Meghan Markle and Prince Harry break Instagram record 6 hours after account launch

Guinness World Records announces the milestone

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have broken the record for the fastest time to gain 1 million followers on Instagram.

On Tuesday, Kensington Palace announced it had launched a verified Instagram account, under the handle @sussexroyal, on behalf of the royal couple.

The account accrued 1 million followers in five hours and 45 minutes, according to the global authority on record-breaking achievements Guinness World Records.

Guinness World Records congratulated the couple, who are expecting their first child any day now, on the achievement on Twitter.

“Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose new @instagram account sussexroyal reached 1 million followers in less than 6 hours [sic],” the organisation tweeted on Wednesday.

The previous record was held by Korean pop star Kang Daniel, who reached the 1 million follower milestone in 11 hours and 36 minutes in January.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Instagram follower count currently stands at 2.5 million.

Meanwhile, the Instagram account they previously shared with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boasts 7.2 million followers.

The first image posted on the couple’s account was a picture of their royal cypher - the entwined initials H and M below a coronet - in white on a navy-blue background.

The picture was featured in a series of nine photographs of the couple on several official visits around the world.

"Welcome to our official Instagram; we look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues," reads the caption on the post.

“We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal."

The post received messages of support from well-wishers including one from Markle's close friend, stylist Jessica Mulroney, who commented with two heart emojis.

The account currently follows 23 other Instagram accounts including those of Prince Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, the London Marathon and England Rugby.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle's Instagram account comes weeks after the royal family addressed social media abuse with a set of new guidelines aimed at making the monarchy's official social media accounts a “safe environment”.

Last month, the Palace released a statement explaining that online abuse will no longer be tolerated and that any social media user leaving offensive or abusive comments on royal accounts will be blocked and may be reported to police.