Royal figures Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry voice congruent worries
In a united front, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle have expressed significant concerns about the safety and privacy of children in the digital age, particularly in relation to social media.
Concerns Expressed
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is particularly anxious about the privacy of her eldest son, Prince George, online, especially as he prepares to attend boarding school, where she will have less direct oversight of his internet use. Her worries reflect broader parental concerns about children's exposure to social media and privacy risks in the digital age.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, through their Archewell Foundation and specifically with the launch of The Parents’ Network, emphasize the need to protect children from online harm, including dangers arising from social media. They highlight that the responsibility of keeping children safe online should not fall on parents alone but requires proactive industry and legislative measures.
Meghan Markle has publicly stated the universal agreement that children should be safe online, irrespective of societal divisions, and has criticized the lack of robust safeguards in current technology platforms, noting issues such as children lying about their age to access social media early without adequate parental controls.
Measures Advocated
The Archewell Foundation under Harry and Meghan advocates for stronger safeguards and legislation across industries to prevent online harms, urging leaders to enact and enforce these protections to reduce risks like social media-related harm or loss. They continue to support individuals and groups championing policies and tools for children's online safety, calling for collaborative efforts beyond just parental monitoring.
In the UK, in line with these concerns, a new Children’s Online Safety Code became legally enforceable in July 2025, requiring social media platforms and search services to protect children from harmful material such as suicide encouragement, self-harm, eating disorders, pornography, bullying, and violent content. Platforms face substantial fines for non-compliance, marking a significant governmental step toward safer digital environments for children.
The Secretary of State for Technology has expressed commitment to balancing online safety with privacy concerns, such as the challenge of monitoring encrypted messaging services while protecting children from predators.
Summary
Kate Middleton focuses on privacy and parental oversight challenges for children in the digital age, especially regarding her own family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle concentrate on systemic change, advocating for legislation, industry responsibility, and broad societal action to keep children safe online. Together, their concerns and efforts highlight the intersection of parental worries, advocacy for stronger government regulation, and technological solutions aimed at protecting children from online harms.
These combined approaches reflect a shared royal commitment to addressing pressing online safety challenges facing current and future generations of children. In 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle founded The Parents' Network, which aims to provide support for families experiencing online harm. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to express concerns about the safety and privacy of future generations online and have committed to supporting those who champion online safety issues to prevent further harm to children.
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, through their foundation, have championed for more robust safeguards in health-and-wellness initiatives, particularly focusing on protecting children online from dangers such as social media-related harm, echoing their joint concerns about the safety of children in the digital age.
- In the realm of entertainment, Kate Middleton's continued focus on the privacy of her son, Prince George, online underscores the need for active industry engagement and stricter regulations to promote science and technology that prioritizes the health-and-wellness of children in the digital era.
