Columnist Carole Malone has questioned the Duchess of Sussex's reason for backing out of a planned speech in Brussels about online child safety, suggesting the trip was a public relations exercise.
Team Sussex announced that Meghan was not "strong enough" to make the speech following child porn allegations against her father and his subsequent arrest. However, Malone points out that Meghan was strong enough to travel to Brussels with Harry and walk the red carpet, knowing the paparazzi would be present.
Event overshadowed by Meghan's presence
Malone argues that by attending but not speaking, Meghan made the event about herself rather than child online safety. The focus shifted to her emotional state and appearance, away from the opening of The Lost Screen Memorial for children who have lost their lives due to social media harms.
The columnist notes that Meghan is a strong, determined woman and questions why she did not address the allegations directly. Malone suggests Meghan would have been praised if she had spoken about children's online safety and the right of every child to be safe.
Seven-year knowledge of allegations
Malone highlights that Meghan has known about the allegations for seven years, having received a letter containing "disturbing allegations" from her father's first wife, Roslyn Loveless, delivered by the Met Police in 2019. The columnist questions why Meghan sat on the letter for seven years without contacting the FBI, confronting her father, or seeking advice from the Met Police.
In October, when the letter was revealed, Meghan issued a statement saying: "I'm deeply distressed. My thoughts are with the children who may have been harmed." Malone asks why Meghan did not act sooner, as harms could have continued during the seven years she did nothing.
Inconsistencies in Meghan's public statements
Malone also points out that Meghan made a Netflix documentary in 2022 saying, "I've been a Daddy's Girl all my life," describing her close bond with her father and his support of her acting career. The columnist questions why Meghan would say this after being told he collected child porn images.
Malone concludes that she does not believe Meghan was "emotionally broken" in Brussels, suggesting the couple's actions are a PR exercise about their image and brand. The columnist states the only message that should have come out of Brussels was about the children harmed or lost due to social media.
