Prince Harry and Meghan to make first public appearance since Thomas Markle allegations
Prince Harry and Meghan are set to make a joint appearance in Belgium next week, addressing the EU parliament in Brussels on the harms of social media.
It will mark not only their first European engagement since moving back to the UK in August but also their first public appearance since the allegations against Thomas Markle came to light.
Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to appear in public together, again, at least once more before Christmas but are keen to keep the focus on the working members of the royal family. Getty Images
Meghan’s father has been accused by his son – Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr – of possessing child sex images, which Markle Sr denies.
Markle Jr handed over boxes allegedly containing the 82-year-old’s belongings, discovered in his Cebu home, to police in the Philippines, who have launched an investigation.
Markle Sr, who is currently in a Florida nursing home after a stroke, labelled the allegations “sick lies”.
The Duchess of Sussex issued a statement following the news, saying she was made aware of similar allegations in a letter to Scotland Yard in 2019 by her father’s first wife and the mother of Markle Jr, Roslyn Loveless.
Meghan’s father has been accused by his son – Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr – of possessing child sex images, which Markle Sr denies. AP
“I am 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,” the American-born duchess said in a statement at the time.
Neither Harry nor Meghan have spoken about the allegations beyond the initial statement.
While there might be some parallels in their fight to protect children on social media, they’re not expected to address the police investigation while in Brussels next Tuesday.
A Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 illuminated light boxes which look like smartphones, with each displaying a lock screen showing a child lost to online harms. Getty
They are set to open the Lost Screen Memorial, which they first unveiled in New York in April last year as part of their Archewell Foundation’s No Child Lost to Social Media campaign.
Meghan also took the campaign to Geneva’s Place des Nations in Switzerland in May.
The 50 large illuminated light boxes are designed to look like smartphones with each displaying a lock screen featuring the photo, name, and personal voice messages or exact times of death for children lost to online harms.
Meghan also took the campaign to Geneva’s Place des Nations in Switzerland in May. Getty
It serves to honour the young people impacted by digital dangers such as cyberbullying and addictive algorithms.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make a rare dual-address to EU parliament, where they’ll speak about the importance of child safety online for about 15-20 minutes, according to ITV.
Prince Harry will then also join a panel discussion titled Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children.
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