How Meghan Markle Is Pulling Back the Curtain on Her Private World

However, getting back on social media has been “liberating.”

“For me, it was a great way to get my voice back,” she continued. “It’s my space and my channel for joy. That is the intention of my handle.”

If you look at that handle—which has racked up more than 4 million followers since its launch on New Year’s Day—you’ll find glimpses into Meghan and Harry’s world that fans didn’t even see in their previously released docuseries.

These include insights on their romance, like their Beyoncé and James Taylor concert outings, anniversary tributes and stories of how Harry brought Meghan cupcakes on their second date in 2016. They’ve also included peeks into their life as parents, with the mom of two posting home videos and photos of Archie and Lili as well as clips from their family’s trip to Disneyland (though she often shields their faces from the camera to protect their privacy).

And for Lili’s 4th birthday, Meghan shared a throwback video of when she was pregnant with her daughter and dancing in the delivery room with Harry ahead of the birth.

“By the way, that wasn’t yesterday—that was four years ago,” Meghan added. “So it’s also a really great reminder that with all the noise or whatever people do, there’s still a whole life—a real, authentic, fun life—that’s happening behind the scenes. I’m just grateful that now, being back on social as well, I have a place where I can share it on my own terms.”

On her own terms being the key words. Because while Meghan can control how she posts about her life or promotes her lifestyle brand As Ever, she can’t control what’s said about her and Harry online, including reports about his rift with the royal family.

So how does she balance owning her own narrative while also having to deal with the constant media frenzy?

“It’s a fine line,” the duchess admitted on the podcast, “but it’s also setting up boundaries—which I would say to anyone no matter what you’re going through, what your experience has been. You set boundaries of where you’re comfortable and it’s OK to say no.”

Still, social media can also be a scary place. And when she released With Love, Meghan—her Netflix series showcasing her passions for cooking, gardening and entertaining—some online users accused her of being inauthentic or unrelatable. But Meghan just reminds them that her world was once very different, telling The New York Times in April, “Don’t they know my life hasn’t always been like this?”

Ultimately, she’s expressed how she’s focusing less on her critics and more on just living her life. As she shared on an April episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, “I am just so done with the prove it game.”

In honor of Meghan’s 44th birthday keep reading to see photos she’s shared of her with Harry, Archie and Lili.