Prince Harry urges stronger protection for children online

Prince Harry called for greater protection for children online in a speech to the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, saying they “deserve to feel safe wherever they are”.

Prince Harry called for greater protection for children online in a speech to the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, saying they “deserve to feel safe wherever they are”.

The Duke of Sussex delivered the keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, an installation honouring children who have died after suffering online harm. His wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, accompanied him but did not deliver a planned address.

“I’m not here as an expert or a politician. I’m here as a father. My wife, as a mother,” Harry told the gathering.

He said the couple stood alongside parents who had lost children to online harm, naming families in New York, Los Angeles, Geneva and Brussels.

“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,” he said.

“They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground. At any time, no matter where they are.”

Harry also questioned why ensuring children’s safety online was treated as 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,” he said.

His speech did not directly refer to the recent arrest of Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr, in the United States on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Meghan’s decision not to speak followed her withdrawal from the planned joint address. A spokesperson confirmed that she would accompany Harry to the event but would not deliver a speech.