Prince Harry, Meghan release strong statement after King’s announcement

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a powerful message about a promise to protect soon after King Charles made an uncharacteristic announcement.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who founded the Archewell Foundation after they stepped down from their senior royal position, released a statement in which they urged leaders to “follow through” with their “commitments”.

Harry and Meghan, who are parents to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, recognised the efforts of “young people, parents and activists” in order to “protect teens and children from the threat of real and AI-generated non-consensual images, deepfake pornography, and sextortion online.”

“While promises from leaders give us hope, we look forward to those leaders following through on those commitments,” the statement read.

“Too often, accountability is too slow to address the real-world harm that results from online harm. We are hopeful that the momentum behind addressing harm from non-consensual images being shared online will result in solutions, especially those that address the latest advances in AI.”

They expressed their expectations that these commitments would be implemented through “advancing legislation promoting safety by design, like The Take It Down Act, investing in technology that prioritises protection and user empowerment, and providing meaningful recourse for impacted families.”

The statement concluded, “Given the sweeping consensus among leaders with the power to execute this, we are watching the clock and hoping to see real change carried out as soon as possible.”

Just hours before the message from Sussexes was released, the King had shared his playlist – The King’s Music Room – bringing together much-loved artists from across the Commonwealth.

The monarchy, which is often considered to be strictly traditional with not much levity, the announcement came as a surprise, albeit a good one to most.