Meghan Markle and Prince Harry looked stiff in their first joint appearance in nearly two months.
In a video shared at the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children in Colombia, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex firmly stood next to each other and looked straight toward the camera as they promoted online safety for children.
“We are at a crossroads where the urgency to reassess and redefine our approach to protecting children has become increasingly evident,” Harry began in the video shared Thursday and obtained by The Independent.
“While the necessity has always been apparent, it’s now time to translate that awareness into meaningful action.”
Markle chimed in by saying they “recognize that today’s reality is marked by greater connectivity and advanced technology, which, of course, has many positives; at which, it also compels us to better understand how digital violence against children is manifesting itself in this age.”
“At the Archewell Foundation, we engage with young people, families and experts worldwide, learning about how every aspect of a child’s life — from their livelihood to their physical and mental well-being — now operates within an online economy that has both the power to shape and misshape our connections,” she added.
Markle, 43, and Harry, 40, founded the Archewell Foundation in October 2020 to work with organizations and leaders to resolve issues like mental heath, emergency relief and creating safer social media for children.
The foundation specifically launched the Parents Network initiative that helps combat cyberbullying, supporting families with grief after facing the effects from social media and protecting children’s mental health with the increased use of social media.
“We know that supporting parents is essential in reducing digital violence against children,” Harry said. “That’s why earlier this year, we launched The Parents Network, a support network for families dealing with online harm.”
The couple has previously discussed the initiative, both together and separately. Harry highlighted the program by himself at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City in September after they both chatted with “CBS Sunday Morning” the month before.
The couple’s joint video marked the first time they’ve publicly been seen together in nearly two months.
They were last seen smiling while sitting in the back of a car leaving Tyler Perry’s star-studded 55th birthday party in Montecito, Caif., on Sept. 14.
Markle and Harry attended the event alongside close friends Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, who drove in a separate car together.
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