Former user of Harry and Meghan Instagram handle condemns ‘constant abuse’

A football fan has said he will quit Twitter due to "constant abuse" after claiming his Instagram handle was given to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex without his permission.

Kevin Keiley, from Worthing, West Sussex, selected the @sussexroyal handle when he joined the photo-sharing website because he lives in the county and supports Reading, whose nickname is the Royals.

But Harry and Meghan were given the handle for their Instagram debut this week – and Mr Keiley said nobody asked him about it beforehand.

He earlier told ITV: "All they needed to do was tell me over email what is happening, that the royals want your name and I would've given it, but no, they went behind my back and did it without telling me."

Since then, Mr Keiley said he has decided to close his Twitter account – which also has the handle @Sussexroyal – due to abuse.

He wrote: "Due to the constant abuse I have been receiving I have made the decision to close this Twitter account.

"Should free it up nicely for anyone wanting the sussexroyal handle. Just to put the record straight I have never received a penny nor do I want anything."

Mr Keiley went on to write that he would have liked an apology from Instagram, adding: "I continue to say I have nothing against Prince Harry or his family but that does not put people off the abuse."

Mr Keiley had apparently used the handle "for years" but found it had been changed to @_sussexroyal_ when he logged in recently.

Instagram said the change was in line with its policy which allows it to reassign accounts if users are inactive, though Mr Keiley said he was using it to view other people's content and like posts.

Harry and Meghan became the fastest users to a million followers after they launched their Instagram account on Tuesday.

Kensington Palace declined to comment on the matter.