Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have said they want social media to be a more positive place, following the release of the controversial royal biography Finding Freedom.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined a discussion with young leaders from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust via Zoom call, where they spoke about how social media can be a “force for good”.
In the discussion, Meghan admitted that while she “didn’t know” about the charity prior to joining the Royal Family, she felt “incredible pride” working with them.
Prince Harry stressed the importance of not “coming to the table with a problem without a solution” in regards to issues surrounding social media.
“Solutions are the most important thing, I learned in the Army, don’t come to the table with a problem unless you’ve got a solution,” he said.
“No one could have predicted how the world was going to change in such a short space of time, especially with the digital space but, hearing you guys, knowing the broad spectrum that the QCT engulfs, you guys are the definition of the 21st century Commonwealth and what it means to be part of it,” he added.
“You are there standing for equality and mutual respect and fairness, and I think that is something that every single one of you should be very proud of.”
Meghan added: “I think from my standpoint, being newer to the world of the Commonwealth, I lived in Canada for several years but it wasn’t until joining the family that I was able to meet so many young people throughout the Commonwealth.”
“They came with a question, they always offered a solution, and that’s what I think is so inspiring and why I’m incredibly proud to be able to work with the QCT, but why it’s the continuation of the legacy of your grandmother.”
“Everyone’s mental and emotional wellbeing are perhaps more fragile than ever before, certainly with COVID and our dependability on devices right now in the absence of human interaction,” Meghan continued.
“People are going online more than ever before to feel community. When that community becomes decisive and isn’t a pack for good, but is a pack of people ganging up on one another…what’s challenging about that is that people don’t feel an escape.”
“It can probably feel very lonely in that space,” she added, before stating that she felt “sensitive” to what “young girls are experiencing right now in an online space.”
Harry concluded: “It takes a huge amount of courage for you to set up communities like you have but also for other people to stand up to hate.”
“It’s on all of us collectively to make the world a better place – and we are.”
The news comes just weeks after the new bombshell royal biography Finding Freedom was released, which claimed that Harry felt “disgusted” by how he and Meghan were treated by the tabloids.
