What is happening with the Sussex Royal Twitter?

It's been two days since The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined Instagram with the @SussexRoyal account, and it already has 3.3 million followers.

With the establishing of the Instagram, many assumed a @SussexRoyal Twitter account was on its way – in line with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who have @KensingtonRoyal on both Twitter and Instagram.

It didn't take royal watchers long to head over to Twitter and search for @SussexRoyal – the likely handle – only to find Kevin Keiley, not the royal parents-to-be.

It is not uncommon for brands to buy Twitter handles. And Keiley has been on Twitter since 2010, long before Harry met Meghan and the House of Sussex was established.

So when the Twitter account went down on April 3, it was assumed that it would soon be in royal hands.

But the saga continues: as of 9pm on April 3, it was back in Keiley's control.

The casual but defiant Twitter user wrote, "I am still the only @SussexRoyal on Twitter," followed by "Hi everyone" and finally, "This is the original and only @SussexRoyal. We talk about supporting Reading FC":

Why is a Twitter account important?

It is on Twitter that the royal family has, in recent years, broke news. It is where the births of both Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were announced – the account wasn't established until January 2015, when Prince George was already 18 months old. George's birth was announced on the The Royal Family Facebook page and Clarence House Twitter.

Twitter is also where we got our first glimpse of Princess Charlotte up close:

And where Harry and Meghan's official wedding photos were first shared:

So as the world patiently awaits the Sussexes' arrival, it was expected that it, too, would be announced on Twitter. However, if the mix-up isn't resolved, it may be announced on the newly launched Instagram or family-wide @RoyalFamily account, instead.

Who is Kevin Keiley? 

Little is known of Kevin Keiley. Just that he lives in the British county of Sussex and supports an English football team called Reading Football Club. The club's nickname is The Royals.

He has Tweeted a grand total of 20 times, and before the Sussex Royal Instagram was launched, he last Tweeted on February 3, commenting on a football video. On April 2, he had around 22 followers, that has now jumped to 200.

Should he give up the account? 

The majority of Twitter users certainly don't think so.

Some think he should demand some cash:

Others think he should just hold strong:

However there are royal fans that think he should give the account up:

And they made the point that he rarely uses his Twitter:

Either way, it will be interesting to see if Harry and Meghan get their synchronised social handles, or just opt to stick to Instagram for the time being.

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