Could Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Finally Make Children's Online Safety Their Defining Cause?

EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS: With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Brussells to talk about child safety - could this be a new focus for them in the work they promote?

CHILD safety is something many people, myself included, would agree is incredibly important. For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it is becoming an increasingly prominent part of their public work.

After pursuing several different projects in recent years, could Harry and Meghan finally have found a cause that will define their entire future?

On Tuesday, November 10, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, visited the European Parliament in Brussels, where they met families affected by online harm and attended the unveiling of the Lost Screen Memorial. The Royal Observer was on location for the event. The memorial featured photographs of children and young people whose deaths have been linked to harmful online experiences, displayed on oversized smartphone screens.

Harry delivered a keynote speech before emotionally calling for greater accountability from tech and social media companies in a panel discussion inside the building, which explored the need for stronger protections for younger users. The Duke told those gathered: "These companies have caused so much harm; there has to be accountability."

He also welcomed proposals for stronger European legislation designed to protect children online, arguing that responsibility should not rest solely with parents. Meghan accompanied her husband and met those attending the event, although she withdrew from delivering her previously planned speech following the recent arrest of her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr. The allegations against Mr Markle remain unproven, and he has previously denied them.

Over recent years, Harry and Meghan have pursued several different projects, from documentary production and publishing to charitable initiatives, business ventures and public advocacy.

Their work has attracted both support and considerable criticism, with questions sometimes raised about whether the couple have established a consistent direction since stepping back from their roles as working members of the Royal Family. However, children's online safety is not a new interest for the Sussexes.

Through their charitable work, the couple have previously supported parents who have lost children following harmful online experiences, while repeatedly calling for greater responsibility from social media companies. But their appearance in Brussels suggests this could become an increasingly central part of their public work.

Some may argue that, rather than moving between different projects, focusing more consistently on children's digital safety could allow Harry and Meghan to establish a clearer long-term charitable identity. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the couple intend to make this their principal area of advocacy. Nevertheless, their continued engagement with affected families suggests this is a cause they are taking the topic extremely seriously.

Despite Harry and Meghan highlighting the devastating effects of social media and the responsibility technology companies have to protect children, they are not the first members of the Royal Family to address the issue.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have also spoken about the challenges facing children growing up in an increasingly digital world. Prince William has previously highlighted the dangers of cyberbullying, while Catherine's work surrounding early childhood development has emphasised the importance of emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships and supportive environments for young people. Their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, don't have access to social media and have limited access to what they can get on the internet according to the Prince himself who also said his son George, may have a "phone without internet" when he started boarding school in September.

Similarly, Harry and Meghan have largely protected the privacy of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Their children's access to social media has not been publicly confirmed, although given their young ages, it may be unlikely that they independently use such platforms.

Online safety has also become a significant political issue in Britain. In June 2026, the UK Government announced plans to prohibit social media companies from providing services to children under 16, alongside additional restrictions on potentially harmful features.

The measures are expected to take effect in spring 2027, subject to the necessary regulations. These are Government policies rather than personal initiatives of King Charles III, although legislation is formally introduced through parliamentary processes involving the monarch.

Perhaps the most important voices in this debate, however, are those of families whose lives have been changed by devastating loss. Among them is Ellen Roome MBE, whose son Julian, affectionately known as Jools, died in April 2022 at the age of 14. Ellen has spent years seeking answers about whether harmful online content may have played a role in her son's death. The circumstances remain uncertain, but her determination has helped bring greater attention to the difficulties families can face when attempting to access a deceased child's digital information.

Her campaign for Jools' Law seeks to ensure that potentially important online evidence is preserved following a child's death.

In 2026, Ellen received a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award alongside fellow campaigners Esther Ghey and Ian Russell MBE, both of whom also lost children due to social media, recognising their efforts to improve children's online safety. Russell lost his daughter Molly Russell, by suicide, and Ghey lost her daughter Brianna, who was murdered by teenagers who accessed violent material online before the attack. Their experiences demonstrate why the issue extends far beyond political debate or royal appearances.

Behind every campaign is a family, and behind every family is a story that deserves to be heard. Jools is also among the children remembered through the Lost Screen Memorial, which Harry and Meghan helped unveil in Brussels.

For Harry and Meghan, Tuesday's appearance comes during a particularly difficult period personally, following their return to the United Kingdom earlier this year and the recent allegations concerning Meghan's father. Nevertheless, their decision to continue with the Brussels engagement has brought renewed attention to their work on children's digital safety. It is also an issue on which the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales appear to share common ground, despite their different public roles and approaches.

If Harry and Meghan choose to make children's online safety a defining part of their future work, it could provide a meaningful and sustained direction for the couple. But the real measure of success will be the difference it makes to children and families.