Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, told an Australian audience Thursday she had been the target of relentless online bullying since she married into the Royal family.
“For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world,” she despaired.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a four-day trip to Australia, with engagements covering sport, mental health and veterans’ affairs.
Addressing a classroom of young people in Melbourne involved with the mental health organisation Batyr on the third day of the trip, Meghan said social media companies were “not incentivised to stop,” Reuters reports.
The duchess added: “Now, I’m still here,” before warming to a theme she has long embraced that people should just be nicer to each other – like she is – and reject hate speech.
“And when I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks – that’s not going to change,” she continued.
“So you have to be stronger than that.”
For his part, Prince Harry joined the discussion and said Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media was “epic” from a “responsibility and leadership standpoint.”
He said: “Australia took the lead. Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban.
“Now we can sit here and debate the pros and cons of a ban – I’m not here to judge that. All I will say is from a responsibility and leadership standpoint – epic.”
The Reuters report notes the couple’s travel is being privately funded, though local media reported some policing costs associated with the visit would be paid by Australian taxpayers, sparking a protest petition signed by more than 45,000 people.
In contrast to their previous visit, the Sussexes are also undertaking what their office called “private meetings and special projects” while in Australia.
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