Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been designated “personalities of the year for humanitarian activities” at a gala held on Thursday evening, October 9, in New York. The event came just hours after the Princess of Wales warned in Britain about the harmful effects of excessive screen time on family life.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PHOTO Getty Images
The Duchess of Sussex expressed concern in her speech that their children Archie and Lilibet will grow up in a digital age – just hours after the Princess of Wales warned that excessive screen time could affect family life, writes the Daily Mail.
“Our children, Archie and Lili, are only six and four. Fortunately, they are still too young for social media, but we know that day will come.
Like many parents, we are constantly thinking about how to embrace the benefits of technology while protecting children from its dangers. That optimistic intention to draw a line between the two is quickly becoming impossible.” Meghan said at the event.
The pair were applauded at the end of their speech, but royal watchers noted how similar their message was to that delivered earlier in the day by the Princess of Wales, who had warned that excessive screen use could harm family relationships and children’s development.
The parallel events, held 5,600 kilometers apart, look set to dash hopes of a reconciliation between the warring Windsors, with the Daily Mail revealing that a Sussex insider predicted: “Meghan will return to the UK by the end of the year”after more than three years of absence.
King Charles and his eldest son William were at London’s Natural History Museum on Thursday in a rare joint public appearance, united by their passion for the environment.
Hours later, Harry and Meghan also made a rare appearance together on the red carpet on Thursday night after being named “Humanitarians of the year” at the Project Healthy Minds gala in New York.
Meghan was joined on stage by Harry, who in turn spoke a few words about the dangers of technological progress: “This is a crucial moment in our shared mission to protect children and support families in the digital ageHarry said.
Last night, Meghan and Harry were celebrated for their work in the online environment, which began in 2020 when they collaborated with experts from Stanford University to analyze the impact of social media on young people.
Their foundation, Archewell, again drew attention to this crisis after the gala, citing a statistic provided by the Social Media Victims Law Center that said approximately 4,000 families have filed lawsuits related to the harmful effects of social media exposure.
The Duke and Duchess’s organization stated that this figure “represents only a fraction of the affected families, limited to those who had the resources and ability to litigate through a single law firm.”
“If these deaths and harm to children were considered ‘unintended consequences’ ten years ago,said Harry, “then what are they now?”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PHOTO Getty Images
Rumors emerged before the gala that Meghan could return to the UK by the end of the year in an attempt to reconcile with the royal family – a secret project dubbed ‘Project Thaw’. There is even talk that William would be willing to meet with Harry, but not with the present Meghan, which further complicates the relations within the royal family.
