Meghan and Harry, who married last year, are due to welcome their first child in the Spring.
CNN  — 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have launched a joint Instagram account, sparking excitement among their legion of fans awaiting the impending announcement of the birth of their first child.

“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. We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal.”- Harry & Meghan,” the couple wrote in their first post.

The account had amassed more than 237,000 followers in less than an hour after its first post was made just after 3 p.m. (10 a.m. ET) Tuesday.

Fans have inundated the first post – an image of a logo featuring the intertwined letters H and M, topped with a crown, on a deep blue background – with hundreds of welcome messages.

One of the first responses was from Markle’s best friend, Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, who posted two heart emojis.

Kensington Palace’s Twitter account revealed the launch of the social media account on Thursday. “Welcome to Instagram, SussexRoyal! Follow for more on the work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” it posted.

The news comes as the couple awaits the birth of their first child, who will be seventh in line to the British throne.

In March, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II agreed to the creation of a new Household for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Buckingham Palace announced.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have lived in Nottingham Cottage within the grounds of Kensington Palace in London since they were engaged last year, are setting up home at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate, west of London.