Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened up about one of their greatest fears as parents while accepting a somewhat divisive humanitarian award in New York City last night.
The couple, who share two children—son Archie, 6, and daughter Lilibet, 4—traveled to Manhattan from their home in Montecito to attend the third annual World Mental Health Day Gala, hosted by Project Healthy Minds, where they were honored as “humanitarians of the year.”
Taking to the stage to accept their award, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, openly revealed their growing concerns about how to protect their children in an increasingly digital age, with the mother of two admitting that she is afraid about how she can “safeguard” the kids, while also allowing them to “embrace” the positive aspects of technology.
“Our children, Archie and Lili, are just 6 and 4 years old. Luckily, still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming,” she said.
“Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits while safeguarding against its dangers. That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.”
Harry, meanwhile, shed some light on the thousands of families who have been devastated by the fallout from social media use among children, who have been driven to suicide or suffered severe mental health issues as a result of online bullying and toxicity.
“Tonight, we are all here together to focus on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time,” he said. “Let me share a number with you: 4,000. That’s how many families the Social Media Victims Law Centre is currently representing—families whose children have been harmed or lost forever to social media.
“4,000 cases at just one firm. And that number represents only those parents who have been able to link their child’s circumstance to social media use.”
Harry added that, while some parents have realized that they have legal power to “fight back against some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world,” doing so cannot help to provide “closure” for those who continue to grieve over the loss of their children.
“This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in the digital age,” he noted.
Despite their emotional speech at the New York City event, the decision to award Harry and Meghan with the prestigious honor has come under criticism from some royal experts, particularly because of the couple’s ongoing rift with other members of the royal family.
“Despite the work they have undoubtedly done to highlight mental health issues … surely, they are the wrong winners for this sort of award,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News.
“Both Meghan and Harry are estranged from their families and have launched deeply destructive attacks on the royal family for their personal and financial gain. Surely, winners of such an award should be positive in approach.”
Harry and Meghan have long been outspoken about the dangers of social media and unregulated AI, and vowed to continue raising awareness through initiatives launched by their non-profit, the Archewell Foundation.
The couple has also taken steps to protect their own children online, although Meghan has been more open about sharing glimpses into their lives on her personal Instagram account, which she relaunched on New Year’s Day after going several years without a public social media presence.
Since then, the Duchess of Sussex has shared multiple photos and videos of both of her children, including snapshots of Archie and Lilibet in and around the family’s $14.65 million Montecito mansion and clips from a trip to Disneyland, although she ensures that their faces are always concealed from view.
Meghan has previously described their home as being a “safe haven” for the family, revealing to People magazine in March that she chose not to film her new Netflix lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” at the property so as not to burst that protective bubble.
“I wanted to protect that safe haven,” she said. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments—putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day.
“Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”
Harry and Meghan moved into their sprawling Montecito abode in 2020, soon after they quit their roles as senior working royals, having stumbled across the Mediterranean-style dwelling online.
“We were looking in this area and this house kept popping up online in searches,” she told The Cut of their househunting process during a 2022 interview.
Interestingly, Meghan admitted that she and Harry were initially concerned that they wouldn’t be able to afford the home, noting that—at the time—they were both unemployed.
“We didn’t have jobs, so we were just not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible,” she said. “It’s like when I was younger and you’re window shopping—it’s like, ‘I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford—that doesn’t feel good.'”
However, her fascination with the nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom estate won out and they went to view the home in person—with Meghan revealing that they fell in love with it before even setting foot inside.
“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” she recalled. “We did everything we could to get this house.”
