Harry and Meghan visit Brussels to call for better online protection for children

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have visited the European parliament in Brussels to call for stronger protection for children online.

During the visit, the couple unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial, designed by their foundation Archewell. It shows portraits of young people whose deaths have been linked to the harmful effects of social media.

The couple arrived hand in hand on the red carpet at the entrance to the parliament, Meghan dressed in black and Harry in a dark blue suit and matching tie. They did not speak to the waiting journalists.

Both had been expected to address the audience inside, but in the end only Harry spoke. 

A source quoted anonymously by The Telegraph said Meghan did not feel emotionally strong enough to speak in public. It was her first public appearance since her 82-year-old father, Thomas Markle, was arrested by the FBI at the care home in Florida where he lives on suspicion of possessing images of child sexual abuse. 

Meghan has not been in contact with her father for years. Security was stepped up for the visit. According to Het Nieuwsblad, the couple were not expected to go anywhere else in Brussels.