Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveil New York memorial to raise awareness over social media dangers
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are raising awareness about the dangers of children onlinePrince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled the new Lost Screen Memorial in New York City as they spoke about the dangers of social media for children.
The royals unveiled the memorial in the Big Apple, after they were in the city for Meghan Markle’s TIME100 summit interview. The images used were shared by the childrens’ parents, set up by the royals’ Archewell Foundation.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are calling for stronger protections for children online, saying, “enough is not being done”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveil Lost Screen Memorial in New York city
The installation, called the Lost Screen Memorial, is dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful material they interacted with online contributed to their tragic deaths.
It’s made up of 50 large scale lightboxes that resemble smartphone screens. Each display features the photo of a child who died due to the “harms of social media”. They say they serve as a tribute and stark reminder of the human cost behind harm from the online space.
The installation is set to be open for 24 hours in their memory.
The images of the children were shared by their parents and caregivers, who are part of the Parents’ Network. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex set up the network with their charity, creating a space for families to receive support after children have experienced harm online.
It comes after the duo have been raising awareness on social media and online harassment over the past few years.
They previously asked technology giants to allow parents to gain information from the phones of children who have died. Some firms don’t release the data, by arguing it goes against privacy laws and regulation.
But Prince Harry doesn’t agree: “You are telling a parent, you are telling a dad and a mum that they can’t have the details of what their kid was up to on social media because of the privacy of their kid. It’s wrong.”
“We’re just grateful that our kids are too young to be on social media at this point,” he added.
“Enough is not being done”
The Duke of Sussex made a passionate plea to BBC Breakfast this morning, (Thursday, April 24).
Prince Harry said while in New York: “We want to make sure that things are changed so that… no more kids are lost to social media.
“Life is better off social media.”
The dad-of-two added he was “grateful” that his two children, Archie and Lilibet, with Meghan were too young to know the world online.
He added: “The easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media. The sad reality is the kids who aren’t on social media normally get bullied at school because they can’t be part of the same conversation as everybody else.”
The Sussexes added through their Archewell Foundation: “We urge leaders across industries and society to continue being proactive in enacting safeguards and legislation to keep children safe online and we commit to continue supporting those championing these issues so not one more child is lost to social media.”
Royals attend private vigil
The royals also attended a private vigil as part of the call to action for urgent online safety reform.
They stood with nearly 50 families whose children were part of the installation, and who they have been working closely with for a number of years.
The memorial in New York is open for 24 hours, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invite people to visit the area to reflect and honour the lives of children who have died too young.
It comes after the Duke revealed last year his own phone lock screen is a photo of his children. At the Clinton Global Initiative in 2024, he said he wanted to have his son Archie and daughter Lilibet on his phone to remind him of what is stake for families.
Meghan Markle doesn’t read what is said online about her
The day before, Meghan sat down at the TIME100 summit and spoke about her journey as an entrepreneur.
But she reiterated that she doesn’t keep up with current news or what is said about her online. She added it helps to keep her grounded and happy with her life at home with Harry and her children.
The duchess explained back in 2019 she’s kept off social media for a number of years. She said she avoids Twitter and newspapers as it “can all just feel like noise”.
However, the royal has relaunched her Instagram profile this year. The comeback was in line with her new lifestyle brand As Ever.
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