{"id":5497,"date":"2026-06-16T12:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T11:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-release-new-statement-following-major-uk-decision-a-welcome-step-forward\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T12:02:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T11:02:00","slug":"prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-release-new-statement-following-major-uk-decision-a-welcome-step-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-release-new-statement-following-major-uk-decision-a-welcome-step-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle release new statement following major UK decision: &#8216;A welcome step forward&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spoken out after the UK announced a major new step aimed at protecting children online.<\/p>\n<p>On June 15, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement backing Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s decision to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.entertainmentdaily.com\/news\/this-morning-fans-demand-sir-keir-starmer-get-off-the-show-uk-ban\/\">ban children under 16 from major social media platforms<\/a> including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<figcaption class=\"text-sm italic leading-tight mt-1\">Meghan and Harry have praised the UK\u2019s social media move (Credit: Janet Mayer\/INSTARimages.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Prince Harry UK response to social media ban<\/h2>\n<p>In their statement, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, said: \u201cWe welcome the U.K. Government\u2019s announcement of new measures to better protect children online.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The couple pointed to stories highlighted through The Lost Screen Memorial, an initiative linked to their charity Archewell Philanthropies. They said those accounts show that real families sit behind the wider debate over technology and regulation.<\/p>\n<p>They said the new rules may help reduce harm, but argued they do not solve the deeper issue. According to the couple, lasting progress will require platforms to be made safer from the outset, stronger accountability and a clear commitment to putting children\u2019s wellbeing ahead of engagement and profit.<\/p>\n<p>Harry and Meghan also said parents and children should not carry the responsibility alone, insisting that technology companies must share that burden.<\/p>\n<div class=\"boxout w-full columns-2 bg-pink-300 mb-10\">\n<p><b>How Harry and Meghan have campaigned on online safety<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"boxouttext px-3 py-2 space-y-2\">\n<p>Prince Harry and Meghan have repeatedly spoken about the risks children face online through their Archewell work.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2024:<\/strong> Archewell launched The Parents\u2019 Network as a support resource for families affected by online harms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>April 2025:<\/strong> The Lost Screen Memorial was unveiled in New York City as part of the No Child Lost to Social Media campaign.<\/li>\n<li><strong>March 2025:<\/strong> The couple welcomed a Los Angeles jury ruling in a major social media addiction case, calling it a significant moment for families.<\/li>\n<li><strong>May 2025:<\/strong> Meghan spoke in Geneva and described online safety as a public health issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Their latest statement on the U.K. decision continues a campaign they have been backing for many months.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>They added: \u201cUntil then, every day without meaningful change is another day that children remain exposed to preventable harm. Stronger protections are better than inaction, and today\u2019s announcement is a welcome step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1247198\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ED-Standard-image-2026-06-16T114539.393.jpg\" alt=\"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle talking on CBS Morning\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ED-Standard-image-2026-06-16T114539.393.jpg 1980w, https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ED-Standard-image-2026-06-16T114539.393-768x419.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 500px) 496px, 100vw\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-sm italic leading-tight mt-1\">Harry and Meghan have spoken about the dangers of social media (Credit: CBS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What the new UK move means<\/h2>\n<p>The Sussexes released their response on the same day Starmer announced the policy. The Associated Press reported that the ban is expected to come into force next year.<\/p>\n<p>The UK is now set to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.entertainmentdaily.com\/news\/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-social-media-ban-archewell-statement\/\">join countries including Australia<\/a>, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia in introducing similar legislation or tightening rules around children\u2019s access to online content. Britain\u2019s restrictions are expected to apply to TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.<\/p>\n<h2>Prince Harry and Meghan\u2019s long-running campaign<\/h2>\n<p>Safer online spaces have become a major <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.entertainmentdaily.com\/news\/meghan-markle-fortune-interview-complicated-relationship-social-media\/\">focus of Harry and Meghan\u2019s charitable work<\/a> since they stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, their Archewell Foundation, later renamed Archewell Philanthropies, launched The Parents\u2019 Network as a support resource and community for families who lost a child to social media-driven suicide or whose children have suffered because of online harms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"boxout w-full columns-2 bg-pink-300 mb-10\">\n<p><b>Which platforms could be affected by the new UK rules?<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"boxouttext px-3 py-2 space-y-2\">\n<p>The proposed U.K. restrictions are expected to cover several of the biggest social media platforms used by children and teenagers.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>TikTok<\/li>\n<li>Snapchat<\/li>\n<li>Instagram<\/li>\n<li>Facebook<\/li>\n<li>X<\/li>\n<li>YouTube<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to the article, the ban for under-16s is expected to come into force next year. The final scope and enforcement details will depend on the legislation and guidance published by the U.K. government.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Working with The Parents\u2019 Network, Archewell unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial in New York City in April 2025. It was part of the No Child Lost to Social Media campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Although Archewell later transferred The Parents\u2019 Network to the non-profit ParentsTogether, the duke and duchess have continued to push for stronger protections for children online.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1247199\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/coverimages54501147-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Invictus Games\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/coverimages54501147-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/coverimages54501147-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 500px) 496px, 100vw\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-sm italic leading-tight mt-1\">Harry and Meghan have advocated for a safer online environment for young people (Credit: Dutch Press Photo\/Cover Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Meghan\u2019s recent warning on online safety<\/h2>\n<p>In May, Meghan attended the unveiling of the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly.<\/p>\n<p>During her speech, she said safe online spaces are not simply a technology issue but a public health issue. She urged the global community to introduce stronger safeguards for the next generation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.entertainmentdaily.com\/royals\/prince-harry-trooping-the-colour-new-video-message-sadness\/\">Prince Harry\u2019s \u2018sadness\u2019 over Trooping the Colour as he appears in new video message<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, in March, Harry and Meghan also welcomed a Los Angeles jury ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for negligence in a landmark social media addiction case. They described that decision as a turning point for families.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Full interview: Prince Harry tells BBC about King Charles, whether he&amp;apos;d return to U.K. and more\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-hsbs7aBA8Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<section class=\"dbc-editor-cta\"><em><strong>What do you think about the decision in the UK?<\/strong><\/em> <em><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You can leave us a comment\u00a0<\/span><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/entertainmentdailyfix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and let us\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">know.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/section><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entertainmentdaily.com\/royals\/prince-harry-uk-meghan-markle-statement-social-media-ban-children\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spoken out after the UK announced a major new step aimed at protecting children online. On June 15, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement backing Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s decision to ban children under 16 from major social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Meghan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.entertainmentdaily.com\/uploads\/2026\/06\/RI-Split-image-2026-06-16T115104.399.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[2793,74,1585,4700,3894,3892,931,3893,349,930,702,3209],"class_list":["post-5497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tv","tag-decision","tag-harry","tag-major","tag-markle","tag-meghan","tag-meghan-markle","tag-prince","tag-prince-harry","tag-release","tag-royals","tag-statement","tag-step"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}