Meghan Markle Opts Out of Keynote Speech in Brussels—Will Personal Drama Dominate ‘Headlines’?
Meghan Markle will no longer give a joint speech with Prince Harry following her father's scandal.
On Tuesday, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were scheduled to give a rare joint keynote speech at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament. However, it is now being reported that the Duchess of Sussex has opted out of the joint address following the scandal around her father, Thomas Markle Sr. Harry will now give a solo speech at the event in Brussels.
The Sussexes’ joint outing in Brussels was touted to be a high-profile sequel to their triumphant Nottingham visit last month. However, personal ordeals may naturally have been at the forefront of Markle’s mind, forcing her to withdraw from giving her speech. “She’s just not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now,” a source told The Telegraph.
The Lost Screen Memorial, developed in honor of children who lost their lives due to online harm, was first unveiled in New York last year. It was then moved to Geneva earlier this year, where Markle delivered a keynote address, before shifting it to Brussels this week. At the opening ceremony, the Duke of Sussex will join a panel discussing online child safety, covering topics from tech company accountability to preventing online child sexual abuse and exploitation. While audience members can ask questions, queries from the media are not allowed. The sensitive nature of the subject would certainly prick Markle, as her estranged father was arrested in Florida last week for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Adding to ongoing controversy, the Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday further highlighted how far Harry and Markle have drifted apart from the royal family. They did not attend the service at the Cenotaph, with the Duke attending a memorial service in Brackley, Northamptonshire instead. Contributing Editor of The Royal Observer, Pandora Forsyth, recently mentioned that the separate appearances signified a “direct conflict” and showed “metaphorically and physically, just how distant that relationship now is.” She added that the solemn occasion revealed what Harry’s life looks like now that he is a “non-working royal.”
Speaking on what to expect from the Sussexes’ Brussels visit, Forsyth noted that personal drama may overshadow the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial. Apart from the Duke’s secret Remembrance Day visit, she stated that for the “past fortnight” headlines have been focused on Thomas. “Will the headlines tomorrow be on their personal lives, or will it be on the notable appearance that they are making and hopefully making a difference to children's lives around the world,” she wondered. Watch the video here!
Although she won’t give a speech, Markle is expected to join Harry in Brussels on Tuesday. This would be their first joint international trip since returning to the UK.
