The Duchess of Sussex will accompany Prince Harry to Brussels for an event on online child safety but has decided not to deliver a speech, citing that she is "not strong enough" following her father's arrest. The couple had been scheduled to give the keynote address to the European Parliament on Tuesday, but Meghan will now attend without speaking.
Meghan's Decision After Father's Court Appearance
Thomas Markle Sr appeared in court in the US on Friday, charged with possession of child abuse material. A source told The Telegraph: "She's just not strong enough, emotionally, to be doing any public speaking right now."
The event marks Meghan's first public appearance since the allegations surrounding her father emerged. A spokesperson for the Duchess confirmed: "The Duchess is travelling with the duke to Brussels and will accompany him to the event but will not speak."
Harry to Deliver Solo Speech at Memorial Event
Harry will now deliver the speech solo at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, an art installation honouring children who have died after being subjected to harm online. It is understood his speech will not touch on Markle Sr's arrest.
The couple will listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup. They were originally due to have between 15 and 20 minutes for a rare dual address on children's digital safety.
Memorial Exhibition and Panel Discussion
The couple will be shown the memorial exhibition, which features smartphone-shaped light-boxes, each displaying a lock screen photograph of a child or young person who died due to online harm. Harry and Meghan previously unveiled the temporary Lost Memorial installation in New York City in 2025.
The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children. Questions will be permitted from the audience, but not the media.
Background on Thomas Markle Sr's Arrest
Markle Sr, 82, was arrested by FBI agents after they seized a haul of material from two Los Angeles storage units he rented for nearly two decades. He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and is subject to home detention and electronic tagging following his release on bail after his court appearance on Friday.
He came under investigation after he was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by his son, Thomas Markle Jr, who allegedly found illegal images in his father's belongings in Cebu City. Meghan said she was "deeply distressed" at the allegations surrounding her father, from whom she has been estranged since the run-up to her 2018 wedding.
