Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were named Humanitarians of the Year at the Project Healthy Minds Gala in New York City, where they spoke about keeping children safe online.
During their acceptance speech, Meghan said that their children, Archie and Lilibet, are still too young for social media but that she worries about the day they start using it. She explained that like many parents, they try to balance the benefits of technology with the need to protect their children from its dangers, something she said is becoming harder to do.
Harry called online child safety “one of the most important issues of our time” and urged everyone to help stop the exploitation of children on the internet. He pointed to research showing that children face harmful interactions with AI chatbots every few minutes, warning that these risks come directly from the companies behind the technology.
The couple received the award for their work through the Archewell Foundation, which they started in 2020 to promote mental health and well-being in the digital age. Harry noted that families are often up against powerful corporations, lobbyists, and algorithms that put profit over safety, but he said they still have hope because people are beginning to speak out.
At the gala, Harry and Meghan appeared together on the red carpet in matching black outfits, smiling and holding hands. Meghan wore a simple black Armani suit with gold jewelry, while Harry wore a black suit with a white shirt and tie.
