Meghan Markle ignored a reporter asking how she was coping after her father’s arrest, then Prince Harry gave their child safety speech alone

Prince Harry delivered a speech on online child safety in Belgium alone after Meghan Markle opted not to speak during their appearance at the European Parliament. The event came days after Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., was taken into custody by FBI agents on November 6, 2026.

The 82-year-old was arrested at his assisted living facility in Lakeland, Florida, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Following an initial court appearance in Tampa that afternoon, a judge ordered him released under house arrest with electronic monitoring. Thomas Markle Sr. has denied the allegations, calling them ‘sick lies’ and ‘the worst thing anyone could accuse me of’.

Meghan previously said in an October 23 statement that she was “deeply distressed at the news” following the initial allegations. As reported by PEOPLE, the couple walked past reporters without responding on their arrival at the European Parliament, including when one journalist asked, “Meghan, how are you feeling and how are you coping?”

Harry made the case for tech accountability on his own

Although the pair were originally scheduled to speak together, The Telegraph reported that Meghan is not currently feeling ‘strong enough’ to address the public. Harry moved forward with his address to open the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors children lost to the harms of social media.

He focused on the responsibility of technology companies to protect young users, opening by asking the audience, “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 same question of tech platforms’ duty to young users is at the center of Meta’s trial with 29 states.

Harry continued by highlighting the potential of modern tech while questioning why safety remains a difficult goal. “We rarely ask technology to be less ambitious. We’re told it will transform education. Cure disease. Solve problems we once thought impossible. Why should our ambition stop there? Why, when we ask whether it can keep a child safe, does everything suddenly become complicated?” he said, adding, “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.”

The speech also emphasized the global nature of online risks. “Europe cannot become a safe haven for children while harmful practices simply migrate to countries with fewer protections. We must work alongside nations across the globe so that progress here does not leave children elsewhere exposed to the same risks. A child’s safety should never depend on which country they call home,” Harry said.

He urged the audience to consider the motives behind opposition to safety measures. “When we see the scale of resistance to child-safety measures, we should be asking who is behind it, who is funding it, and whose interests it serves. We should also remember that the loudest voices online are not necessarily the voices of the majority,” he said.

Harry closed his remarks by saying, “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,” adding, “They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground. At any time, no matter where they are.” He finished by saying that no family should have to lose a child before the world decides to protect one.