4 Sweet Ways Prince Harry Had Meghan’s Back in Brussels After She Pulled Out of Speech

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Brussels for the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, a travelling installation which the couple has been involved with for years through their work on online safety. The visit was their first public appearance since Thomas Markle's arrest, and after a difficult few weeks. Harry seemingly looked fiercely protective of Meghan, right by her side throughout.

As they arrived at the European Parliament, Harry tightly held Meghan's hand as the two walked inside together. The Duchess looked rather solemn as they passed the waiting cameras, but Harry remained close by her side. The couple kept their looks understated, with Harry in a dark suit and Markle in a black coat, both wearing poppy pins after Remembrance weekend. Even as the pair met dignitaries and parents, Harry didn't let go of Meghan's hand.

As Harry and Meghan made their way inside, reporters called out to the Duchess, asking, “Meghan, how are you feeling? How are you coping?” She didn't respond and kept walking, as Harry led her inside. Harry in fact walked on the side closest to the cameras, shielding his wife from the press pack.

Harry ended up taking the stage alone, even though the speech was originally meant to be a joint appearance with Meghan. The Duchess had decided to step back from public speaking, with a source telling The Telegraph that she was “just not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now.” So Harry went ahead with the address himself, taking some of the pressure off Meghan while still making sure she was part of the day

Markle had delivered the speech at the Lost Screen Memorial unveiling in Geneva earlier this year, but this time it was Harry who took the stage in Brussels. As he took centre stage on the podium, Harry made a point of highlighting that their work on children's online safety had always been a joint effort. “Myself and my wife, we came into this in 2020, six years ago, in large part because of the problem we could see,” he told the audience.