Prince Harry revealed that his wife, Meghan Markle, was the most trolled person in the world in 2018. This was during a surprise appearance at the 2025 Nexus Global Summit in New York.
He spoke to a room of global philanthropists and social entrepreneurs.
PRINCE HARRY OPENS UP
The Duke of Sussex said, “One of the reasons why the digital world was so important to us is because my wife, in 2018, was the most trolled person in the world. There was a lived experience”.
Prince Harry explained that meeting parents who had lost children to social media-related suicides inspired him and Meghan Markle to focus on digital well-being and combating social isolation through their Archewell Foundation.
“That’s when it started to make sense to us,” he said, highlighting the urgent need for safer online spaces, according to Page Six.
Meghan Markle’s public scrutiny began when her relationship with Harry became known in 2017 and intensified after their 2018 wedding.
MEGHAN MARKLE AND NEGATIVE HEADLINES
In a candid interview, Meghan revealed she contemplated suicide amid the relentless negative headlines. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she shared. “I didn’t see a solution”.
Meghan Markle has described the trolling she endured as “almost unsurvivable,” especially during her maternity leave in 2019.
She said, “Eight months of that, I wasn’t even visible. But what was able to be manufactured or churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable.”
She emphasised the severe damage that false online narratives can cause to mental and emotional health.
PRINCE HARRY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Prince Harry also reflected on how people’s compassion tends to shrink as life becomes harder, making the digital world more hostile.
He urged for greater empathy in online interactions, particularly for younger generations.
Their experience resonates globally, including in South Africa, where social media use is widespread and online harassment is a growing concern.
The couple’s advocacy for digital responsibility and mental health awareness underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from online abuse.
RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
In Prince Harry’s words: “If the digital world is not done responsibly, it’s going to turn back the progresswe have made. We can see that with climate change. The digital space must be safer for everyone”.
This revelation adds a humanising perspective to the challenges faced by public figures and highlights the urgent need to address online toxicity worldwide.
WHAT STEPS SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TAKE TO COMBAT TOXICITY?
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