Grieving Mother Sandra Spitaels Opens Up About Emotional Meeting With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
EXCLUSIVE: The bereaved mother opens up about her emotional encounter with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in this exclusive interview with the Royal Observer.
SOME moments from public engagements stay in the collective memory long after everyone wraps up and goes home.
That moment came when Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, hugged a grieving mother, Sandra Spitaels, after she gave a speech at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament. The simple, emotional act put into frames not only the sentiment behind the installation but also depicted an aftermath it tried to prevent.
In 2017, Sandra's son Glenn took his own life after a nude image of him - taken with his mobile phone and only ever meant for one person - was shared on social media; he was just 15-years-old at the time. I had the opportunity to personally speak with Spitaels in an exclusive interview where we touched upon the poignant event and the importance of having figures like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex put their weight behind the cause.
After their family's tragic loss, the 52-year-old has become an outspoken advocate for online safety. When asked what it meant to have Sussexes’ support and to share an emotional moment with the latter, Spitaels told me, “I think it's very important and it's touched me a lot.” She mentioned that the couple has “warm” personalities and their encounter was “really touching”, before adding, “When they arrived, they gave me a hug. It's not about protocol or something. It was really nice.” Adding that they “talked a little bit” before going to the “spades”.
After giving an emotional address to a packed room inside the European Parliament, Meghan stood up to give an long hug to Spitaels. Both mother's came together in grief as they shared the deep emotion of the important day. When I suggested what a powerful statement it was, Sandra replied: “Yeah, I think so, because they're also parents. I think their children are a lot younger. But one day they will have smartphones also." She added: "The foundation of it's the other parents, the screens. I think it's very powerful what the work they do.”
One can argue that public opinion about Harry and Meghan is rather divided, I have certainly seen this first-hand in the comments sections under the Royal Observer's videos online. But Harry and Meghan's impact and influence simply cannot be denied with the global spotlight that inevitably follows them.
Whatever cause they champion or even just give an endorsement too will receive attention. When Spitaels was struggling to get attention to her cause, she told me that the backing of the Duke and Duchess was “important” because they can “open doors.”
She further told me: “Each year I organize an event for raising money for Child Focus and also so that people don't forget what happened with Glenn. And I don't know how many people I have contacted in Belgium for being (an) ambassador or simply make a little bit (of a) promo ... on Instagram, a post or something, but nobody.”
The bereaved mother noted that while people may receive “thousands of invitations” for events, sharing a “post” on social media would only take a few seconds. “And so when you have someone here like Prince Harry and Meghan, it's important. (It) can really change things,” she reiterated.
Meghan and Harry were initially scheduled to give a rare joint keynote address at the European Parliament. However, following the scandal surrounding her estranged father, the Duchess, filled with emotion according to sources who told the Telegraph, understandably withdrew from the speech the day before.
But Meghan didn’t need to speak a single word in public to highlight exactly why the cause was important. And all it took was one simple, genuine human gesture.
