In his first public remarks since wife Meghan Markle’s father was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, Prince Harry made some poignant comments about keeping children safe.
“All children should be able to go online and discover something wonderful. A friend. An interest that becomes a passion. A place where they feel understood,” Harry, 42, said on Tuesday, November 10, addressing the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial.
“They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground. At any time, no matter where they are,” he added, per BBC News and People.
Earlier, Harry and Meghan, 45, were seen holding hands as they arrived at Tuesday’s opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in Brussels. The installation honors children who have lost their lives due to experiencing online harm.
The Duke of Sussex delivered the address to the European Parliament solo. The BBC and Sky News reported that Meghan was scheduled to speak alongside Harry but reportedly did not feel emotionally strong enough. Instead, Meghan watched her husband’s speech from the front row.
Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., was arrested in Florida on Friday, November 6, on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. He was released on bond the same day.
The Central District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged Friday that investigators found material depicting child sexual abuse in two storage units registered to Thomas Sr., 82, in the Los Angeles area.
Among the material, prosecutors allege, are photographs of a man believed to be Meghan’s father with a nude prepubescent girl.
“The FBI and our partners have arrested Thomas Markle Sr. after an FBI investigation revealed he was in possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),” FBI Director Kash Patel claimed in a statement on Friday.
“Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions. Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida,” Patel continued. “This FBI will use every single resource at our disposal to protect innocent kids — any predator who targets children will have zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide.”
Last month, Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., alleged to The Sun newspaper that he found storage boxes containing suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) at his father’s home in the Phillippines. He said he turned over the material to local authorities. Thomas Sr. denied the allegations of possessing CSAM.
In a statement to Us at the time, Meghan said, “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”
Meghan said she became aware of unspecified allegations against Thomas Sr. in 2018.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” Meghan said.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them,” continued Meghan, who shares son Prince Archie, 7, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 5, with Harry. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
