Meghan Markle and Prince Harry marked World Mental Health Day by speaking to a panel of parents at a summit in New York City.
On 10 October, the Duke and Duchess hosted Archewell Foundation’s first in-person event that put a focus on families affected by tragic loss connected to their child’s social media use. They were joined by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and TV host and board member of Project Healthy Minds Carson Daly, who also moderated the panel.
After taking the stage with Markle for the panel, Harry started by saying: “I can’t start without thanking all the parents, the mothers, and fathers for being with us physically today, but also being on this journey with us for the last year, creating this community of shared experience.” He added, “We know it’s not easy for you guys to be here so thank you very much.”
The event is meant to spotlight families advocating for safer online spaces for their children and teenagers, and the couple have reportedly been working closely with the families behind the scenes, according to People. Markle explained, “A year ago we met some of the families, and at the time, it was impossible not to be in tears hearing their stories because it’s just that devastating.”
“As parents, though our kids are really young, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2, but social media isn’t going away and by design.” She continued, “There was an entry post that was supposed to be positive and create community but something has devolved and there’s no way to hear that and not try to help these families have their stories be heard.”
Harry chimed in, adding: “I think for us, for myself and my wife, with kids growing up in a digital age, the priority here is to again turn pain into purpose and provide as much support as well as a spotlight and a platform for these parents to come together, to heal, to grieve and to also collectively focus on solutions so that no other family anywhere has to go through what they’ve been through.”
Reflecting on her approach to these issues as a mother of children who aren’t quite online yet, Meghan told the panel that “being a mom is the most important thing in [her] entire life“ outside of her marriage to Harry. She added that she felt “fortunate” that their children were too young for safe online spaces to be an immediate concern. However, she noted that she felt “frightened at how it’s continuing to change and this will be in front of us.”
“They say being a parent, the days are long but the years are short, so it worries me, but I’m also given a lot of hope and energy by the progress we’ve made in the past year being able to have these incredible parents, these survivors of these experiences, share their stories and the more information gathering we’re able to do, the more we can move the needle a little bit,” she continued. “Everyone is affected by the online world and social media. We all just want to feel safe. I’m confident that with more ears and awareness and visibility of what is really happening, we can make some significant change together.”
When their panel concluded, the couple reportedly received a standing ovation from the audience and embraced Carson Daly and the Surgeon General before making a quiet exit.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told People: “The families have been engaged with The Archewell Foundation for the past year, bolstering community and driving towards solutions. Together, they are united in their mission to share personal experiences, data, and research to ensure the same does not happen to other families.”
