Prince Harry delivered a speech on child safety days after his father-in-law Thomas Markle Sr.’s child porn arrest.
The Duke of Sussex declared in his remarks at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial installment Tuesday, that children “deserve to feel safe” using technology.
Taking to the stage alone after his wife, Meghan Markle, chose to back out of the speech in the wake of her father’s arrest, Harry railed against the lack of protection for kids online.
“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?” the former military pilot, 42, began his speech at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
He continued, “Why, when we ask whether it can keep a child safe, does everything suddenly become complicated?”
Noting that he is not asking for the “impossible” — a “world without technology” — Harry clarified, “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.
“They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground,” the retired royal added. “At any time, no matter where they are.”
While Meghan was present for her husband’s speech, she did not deliver her own remarks as initially planned.
The Telegraph reported on Monday that the “Suits” alum, 45, had canceled her portion on the heels of her father being taken into custody by federal agents on Friday.
The 82-year-old has been charged with possession of child pornography.
“She’s just not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now,” a source told the outlet.
Meghan did, however, press on with her and Harry’s Belgium trip as planned.
Canceling their visit to the Lost Screen Memorial, an installment honoring children who lost their lives to online abuse and social media harm, would have been a “debilitating” blow to the couple’s brand, branding expert Eric Schiffer exclusively told Page Six.
When the duo stepped out Tuesday, they were photographed holding hands, with the Duchess of Sussex sporting an all-black ensemble and Harry suiting up for the occasion.
She stayed silent when asked by a reporter, “Meghan, how are you feeling? How are you coping?”
The actress has issued a single statement on her dad’s legal drama, sharing her “distress” last month as Thomas Sr. was investigated over the “hundreds, if not thousands” of photos son Thomas Markle Jr. allegedly found in his home — as well as the disturbing contents of multiple storage units.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them,” Meghan wrote.
Thomas Sr. previously denied allegations against him as “sick lies.”
After a hearing Friday, he was released on bail back to the Lakeland, Florida, dementia care facility where he resides.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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