Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share rare details on life with Archie and Lilibet
In an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley, the Sussexes have explained why they are so keen to protect their young children.
While most of us celebrate our birthdays with a party or dinner with family and friends, Meghan Markle has decided to use her 43rd birthday today to shine a light on cyberbullying.
In a revealing new interview set to air on America's CBS network, the Duchess of Sussex will be joined by her husband Prince Harry, 39, to highlight the negative effects of cyberbullying and the importance of online safety.
In a preview of the interview with CBS News Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley, the Sussexes offered a rare insight into life with their children - Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3 - and how parenthood is propelling their work.
“Our kids are young. They’re three and five. They’re amazing,” the duchess told Pauley.
“But all you want to do as parents is protect them. So, as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know that there’s a lot of work to be done there and we’re just happy to be able to be a part of change for good.”
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Pauley suggests that parents are likely to feel naturally inclined to help their children if they’re struggling, to which Harry replies: “If you know how to help.”
He continued: “At this point, we’ve got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide.”
The Sussexes have long been proponents of cultivating a safer online environment for the younger generation.
The Duchess of Sussex addressed social media bullying on Women's Day earlier this year when she revealed being a victim of cyberbullying herself while pregnant with Archie and Lilibet.
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“You really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful,” said the duchess of the social media bullying she experienced. “It’s not catty, it’s cruel.”
Last October, the couple's Archewell Foundation hosted a mental health summit that focused on keeping children safe in today's digital age.
The event hosted families who had lost children due to mental health struggles, some of which stemmed from overexposure to social media.
Speaking at the summit, the duchess said: “The burden of this can’t solely be on the parents.
“A lot of the conversations we’ve had quietly behind the scenes with tech executives, they do feel that they’ve created parental controls and certain guardrails to curb this, but not all parents are tech-savvy and can navigate that, and there needs to be a better solution than that. You put in safeguards so when situations like this keep happening, you’re still working to keep people safe.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue their work in this area during a controversial trip to Colombia in November, which will take place ahead of the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.
The unofficial tour will mark the Sussexes second official trip since they stepped down as senior working royals in 2020. Earlier this year, the couple visited Nigeria which proved a success following years of perceived failures.
