The Duchess of Sussex appeared "incredibly strained" and "needed reassurance" from Prince Harry during her first public appearance since her father's arrest, according to royal commentators on the Mirror's Pod Save the King podcast.
Meghan accompanied Harry to the European Parliament in Brussels, where he delivered a keynote address on child online safety alone. She had pulled out of the planned joint speech hours before it was due to take place, with a source close to her saying she was "not strong enough" to speak publicly after the arrest of her estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr.
Arrest of Thomas Markle Snr
Markle Snr was arrested by FBI agents on Friday after they seized a haul of alleged child abuse material from two Los Angeles storage units. He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography.
Meghan still attended the parliament with Harry as he spoke solo. The Mirror's deputy royal editor Jennifer Newton said the Duchess appeared "incredibly strained" as she held her husband's hand for support.
Commentators on Meghan's Appearance
Speaking on this week's episode of Pod Save the King, Jennifer said: "I was quite shocked because I thought she looked incredibly strained. She looked incredibly fraught. I mean, she's normally the real confident one, isn't she? The one who really lights up the room, but not on this occasion."
Mirror royal editor Russell Myers agreed, noting a different element to Harry and Meghan's physical affection as they arrived in Brussels, with Meghan seeming like she needed comfort during the public appearance.
He explained: "Yeah, you could tell the strain on her face. We often see them holding hands when they're out and about, and I thought when she walked into the European Parliament with Harry, it looked like she really needed that reassurance."
Jennifer added: "I think the fact that she pulled out of this speech shows the stress that she was really under right now. I'm not surprised she didn't speak given the gravity of the situation concerning her father. It really shows what she is going through."
Harry's Speech on Child Safety
In his address, Harry said children deserve to feel safe "wherever they are," focusing on keeping children safe online and the importance of prevention.
Harry said: "I'm not here as an expert or a politician. I'm here as a father. My wife, as a mother. All children should be able to go online and discover something wonderful. A friend. An interest that becomes a passion. A place where they feel understood. They deserve to feel safe wherever they are. In a classroom. On a playground. At any time, no matter where they are."
He added: "If you take one thing from today, let it be the stories of the parents so we can all truly understand what is asked of us and what we must ask of technology in this moment. We rarely ask technology to be less ambitious. We're told it will transform education. Cure disease. Solve problems we once thought impossible. Why should our ambition stop there? Why, when we ask whether it can keep a child safe, does everything suddenly become complicated? I am not asking for a world without technology. That isn't possible, it isn't what young people want, and it certainly isn't what I want for my own children."
New episodes of the Mirror's award-winning royal podcast Pod Save The King are available each week on YouTube, with the channel at www.youtube.com/@podsavethekingmirror and Instagram @podsave.
