Duke shares message on children’s wellbeing after being left out of royal health update
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a powerful message about parenting and child safety just days after King Charles was hospitalised following a complication in his cancer treatment.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, through their Archewell Foundation, highlighted pressing challenges facing children and families, calling for urgent action to create safer environments for young minds.
Their message came shortly after Buckingham Palace revealed that the King had experienced side effects from a scheduled treatment, prompting a brief hospital stay. On Friday, Charles appeared in public for the first time since his release, acknowledging supporters outside Clarence House.
It has emerged that Harry was not personally informed of his father's condition, learning about the hospitalisation through media reports—unlike the previous year when the King had directly contacted him about his diagnosis.
While in San Francisco, the Archewell Foundation participated in the Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families, joining global leaders in tackling issues such as youth mental health, AI, and social media’s influence on children.
“Leaders, advocates, researchers, and policymakers gathered to discuss crucial issues including youth mental health, social media, and the impacts of AI,” the Foundation’s message stated. “Attendees focused on a common goal of establishing an online world that prioritises the wellbeing of children and family – through cross-sector conversation and diverse coalition building.”
European leader Margrethe Vestager, speaking at the summit, stressed that structural changes were essential: “Everyone can do something to make sure that their community mitigates the risks and deals with the rest, but never accept that this is a decentralised issue that parents need to deal with themselves.”
Archewell’s statement concluded, “We applaud the thought leaders who shared their bold vision for a safer, more responsible online world. Through collaboration, regulation, and design, the internet can be made a better place for our children to grow – but we must act now and we must act together.”
