Prince Harry Says Children ‘Deserve to Feel Safe’ Online In First Comments Since Arrest of Meghan Markle’s Father
Prince Harry Says Children ‘Deserve to Feel Safe’ Online In First Comments Since Arrest of Meghan Markle’s Father
Stephanie Petit, Simon PerryTue, November 10, 2026 at 9:55 AM UTC
0
Prince Harry speaks at the Lost Screen Memorial opening in Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 10, 2026Credit: Pool/Shutterstock -
Prince Harry delivered a speech about children’s safety online on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 10, as he and Meghan Markle stepped out four days after her father’s arrest in Florida
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in Brussels, Belgium, to open the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors children who lost their lives due to the harms of social media
Harry said while addressing the crowd, “A child’s safety should never depend on which country they call home”
Prince Harry spoke about the safety of children online, irrespective of borders, as he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped out for the first time since her father’s arrest.
With Meghan, 45, standing beside him, the Prince, 42, talking in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, Nov. 10, said, “A child’s safety should never depend on which country they call home.”
The couple — who are parents to Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 —traveled to Brussels this week to help open the latest installment of the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors children who lost their lives due to the harms of social media.
Prince Harry speaks at the Lost Screen Memorial opening in Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 10, 2026Credit: Nicolas Tucat - Pool/Getty
Harry and Meghan were seen arriving at the European Parliament on Tuesday morning at around 8 a.m. local time, with the Duchess wearing an all-black ensemble for the outing, while Harry opted for a dark suit. The couple ignored reporters’ questions and greetings.
The Duchess of Sussex was asked by one person, “Meghan, how are you feeling and how are you coping?,’” as she and Harry walked past reporters holding hands.
Harry started his speech at the memorial opening, by asking: “How did we reach a point where we can build technology capable of extraordinary things, yet still struggle to make it safe for a child?”
“We rarely ask technology to be less ambitious. We’re told it will transform education. Cure disease. Solve problems we once thought impossible. Why should our ambition stop there?” he added.“Why, when we ask whether it can keep a child safe, does everything suddenly become complicated? I am not asking for a world without technology. That isn’t possible, it isn’t what young people want, and it certainly isn’t what I want for my own children,” Harry continued.
He insisted, “All children should be able to go online and discover something wonderful. A friend. An interest that becomes a passion. A place where they feel understood,” adding, “They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground. At any time, no matter where they are.”Although Meghan and Harry were originally set to jointly deliver remarks, it emerged on Nov. 9 that Meghan would not speak. A source told The Telegraph, “She’s just not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 10, 2026Credit: harry-meghan-brussels-111026-jjs
The couple are longstanding campaigners for the safety of young people online, as well as for holding technology companies accountable for the impact their platforms have on young users.
On Nov. 10, Harry also praised the work being done by legislators in Europe on the issue, sharing during his speech, “Europe cannot become a safe haven for children while harmful practices simply migrate to countries with fewer protections. We must work alongside nations across the globe so that progress here does not leave children elsewhere exposed to the same risks.”
“A child’s safety should never depend on which country they call home,” he added.
The Duke of Sussex continued, “When we see the scale of resistance to child-safety measures, we should be asking who is behind it, who is funding it, and whose interests it serves. We should also remember that the loudest voices online are not necessarily the voices of the majority.”“Let’s take tech’s offer to build a world beyond our dreams but all agree at a minimum in that world our kids would be safe. And no family should have to lose a child before the world decides to protect one,” the prince concluded.
The couple’s outing came four days after the Duchess of Sussex’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., 82, was arrested in Florida on Nov. 6, on a charge related to child sexual abuse material.
Thomas Sr. was arrested in the wake of allegations of child pornography possession and child sexual abuse. He acknowledged to the Mail on Sunday that he paid for sex with adult women in the Philippines, but he denied ever having sex with anyone under the age of 18 or possessing child sexual abuse material.
Advertisement
After he was arrested on Nov. 6 on a charge related to child sexual abuse material, Thomas Sr. did not enter a plea during his subsequent court appearance and was subsequently released on his own recognizance to Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida, where he was first taken into custody. His arraignment will take place in California on an unspecified date.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 10, 2026Credit: harry-meghan-brussels-111026-jjs
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, confirmed in a press release that he was charged with one count of possession of child pornography and faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Meghan said in an Oct. 23 statement in the wake of the initial allegations that she was “deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”
Her statement also referred to a letter that was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2019 that “made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.”
At the time, the allegations had not been substantiated, and Meghan was advised that speaking publicly about them could jeopardize any potential investigation, a source familiar with the situation told PEOPLE. She was also concerned about the legal implications of publicly repeating unproven claims, the source said.
Meghan and Harry have made many calls to the need for safer online spaces and have made the space a focus of their charitable work in recent years. In 2024, their charitable organization, Archewell Philanthropies, unveiled The Parents’ Network as a resource and community for families who lost a child to social media-driven suicide or whose children have struggled because of online harms.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial in New York City in April 2025, and the Duchess of Sussex traveled to Switzerland in May 2026 to bring the Lost Screen Memorial to Geneva’s Place des Nations. The Lost Screen Memorial is made up of 50 smartphone screens, each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short due to the harmful effects of social media.
The Duke of Sussex previously made remarks at a 2024 engagement for the Clinton Foundation and the Parents’ Network, which was established in August 2024 to support families affected by social media harms. The community provides crucial support to parents whose children have suffered from the harmful effects of social media, from facing near-fatal harm, managing ongoing mental health difficulties, or experiencing the tragic loss of a child.
The trip to Brussels marked Harry and Meghan’s first official joint trip abroad since they recently moved back to the U.K.
In August, the couple announced that they were leaving California — where they lived for six years after stepping back as working members of the royal family in 2020 — with plans to live in Britain for an extended period. They arrived back in Harry’s home country the same month, with their two children starting school there just weeks later.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
The Sussexes made their first joint public appearance after their move on Oct. 15 in Nottingham, visiting a series of charities. They have stayed largely out of the public eye in the weeks since, taking a holiday with close family and friends amid Archie and Lilibet’s school break.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
