Meghan Joins Prince Harry in Brussels as He Calls for Stronger Online Child Protection

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has made her first public appearance since her estranged father, Thomas Markle, was charged with possessing child sexual abuse material.

Meghan accompanied her husband, Prince Harry, to the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, where the Duke delivered a speech calling for stronger protections for children on social media and other online platforms.

Harry addressed the gathering without Meghan joining him on stage. Reports indicated that the duchess had withdrawn from a planned speaking appearance because she did not feel emotionally prepared to address the audience.

The couple arrived at the Paul-Henri Spaak building holding hands, with Meghan remaining beside her husband as he delivered his address. She did not respond to questions from reporters about her personal feelings.

During his speech, Harry said he and Meghan stood in solidarity with parents whose children had suffered harm through online platforms.

“I’m not here as an expert or a politician. I’m here as a father. My wife, a mother,” he told members of the European Parliament.

He argued that children deserved protection wherever they were, including in schools, playgrounds and digital spaces, and called for stronger preventive measures against online harm.

Harry did not mention his father-in-law’s legal case during the address. Thomas Markle appeared before a court in Florida on Friday after being charged with possession of child sexual abuse images. He has previously denied the allegations and is reportedly under house detention with electronic monitoring.

Meghan has been estranged from her father for several years. Thomas did not attend her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, citing ill health at the time.

Following reports about the criminal allegations last month, Meghan issued a statement saying she was deeply distressed by the news and hoped justice would be served.

At the Brussels event, Harry also criticised the influence of social media companies, describing the addictive nature of social media as “brainwashing on an extraordinary scale”.

He accused powerful technology companies of failing to take sufficient responsibility for the effects of their platforms on children and called for stronger accountability and safer online environments.

The visit also marked the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, an exhibition supported by the couple’s Archewell charity. The memorial features photographs of young people whose families believe their deaths were connected to harmful online experiences.

Among those remembered is 13-year-old Breck Bednar, from Surrey, who died in 2014. His parents believe he was groomed online through gaming and social media platforms.

The exhibition also includes a photograph of Jools Sweeney, from Gloucestershire, who died in 2022. His parents believe his social media use during the COVID-19 lockdown contributed to his death.

The memorial was first launched in New York before being brought to Europe as part of the couple’s wider campaign for improved online safety and greater support for families affected by digital harm.

Harry and Meghan have repeatedly called on technology companies to take greater responsibility for protecting young users and providing answers to families who have lost children following harmful online experiences.