Prince Harry delivered an emotional speech about protecting children from online harm as Meghan Markle watched on during their appearance at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The Duke of Sussex took to the stage alone at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors young people whose lives have been lost to harms linked to social media. Meghan had originally been expected to speak alongside her husband but reportedly withdrew from the speaking role amid the turmoil surrounding her father, Thomas Markle Sr.
A source previously told The Telegraph that the Duchess was “not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now.”
Nevertheless, Meghan attended the event to support Harry, marking her first public appearance since allegations involving her father became public.
‘I’m Here as a Father’
In his keynote address, Harry spoke passionately about the need to make children’s safety a priority in the digital world.
“I’m not here as an expert or a politician. I’m here as a father,” he told the audience. “My wife, as a mother.”
He said that he and Meghan were standing alongside parents who had lost children to online harm — families who, he said, never imagined they would one day have a reason to be involved in conversations about such devastating issues.
Harry emphasized that children should be able to use the internet to make friends, explore their interests and find communities where they feel understood. But he insisted that their safety must always come first.
Whether children are in a classroom, on a playground or online, Harry said, they deserve to feel safe.
Harry Challenges Social Media Companies
The Duke directly challenged the companies behind major social media platforms, questioning why they would create products they would not allow their own children to use.
“So why would you create something that you know is going to harm someone else’s child?” he asked.
He urged technology leaders not to place anything in front of other people’s children that they would refuse to put in front of their own.
Harry also criticized companies whose privacy policies can prevent grieving parents from accessing information that might help them understand how their children died.
“Because of the company’s privacy policies, the parents were blocked from finding out how their child died,” he said. “That cannot be right.”
He argued that child protection must be built into technology from the beginning rather than addressed only after tragedy occurs.
“By the time that it’s on the phone, in an app, in a kid’s hands, it’s already too late,” Harry said.
The Duke also described the addictive nature of social media as “brainwashing on an extraordinary scale,” warning of the amount of time young people can spend looking at their phones.
Meghan Offers Support to Grieving Parents
During the event, Harry and Meghan listened to an emotional speech from Sandra Spitaels, whose 15-year-old son, Glenn, died by suicide in 2017 after a nude image of him was posted online.
Meghan was seen embracing Sandra and placing a hand on her back as they spoke, while Harry appeared to ask her whether she was okay.
After the speeches, the Duke and Duchess were seen walking hand in hand as they met with members of the European Parliament.
During the wider discussion, Canada’s Centre for Child Protection said it issues up to 20,000 requests each day to technology companies seeking the removal of child sexual abuse material. The organization’s executive director, Lianna McDonald, also said it receives between 30,000 and 50,000 reports of online crimes against children every year.
Belgian politician Hilde Vautmans later appealed to Harry to become the “godfather” of a worldwide coalition of parliamentarians working to combat online harm. Harry stood and embraced Vautmans following her plea.
A Difficult Time for Meghan
The appearance came during a deeply difficult period for Meghan, following the arrest of her father, Thomas Markle Sr., 82, in Tampa, Florida.
According to the reported allegations, Markle Sr. has been charged with possession of child pornography. Federal authorities reportedly seized approximately 78 items from the property, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
The affidavit reportedly describes three images, including two that allegedly depict an adult man identified by a witness as Markle Sr. with a nude prepubescent girl.
If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Markle Sr. has previously denied the allegations, describing them as “all sick lies.”
He has never met Meghan and Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet.
As the couple faced a deeply personal family crisis, their appearance in Brussels placed them alongside families whose lives have also been shaped by tragedy. For Harry, the message was clear: children deserve to explore the world, including the digital one, without being put in harm’s way.