Prince Harry, Meghan Markle crowned Humanitarians of the year at NYC Project Healthy Minds Gala, reveal online concerns

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were crowned Humanitarians of the year, revealing the concern they have about keeping their children safe online in the digital age during their acceptance speech.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were honored at the Project Healthy Minds Gala in New York City on Thursday night and took their moment on stage to warn parents about the dangers children face on social media.

“Our children, Archie and Lilibet, are just 6 and 4 years old,” Markle told the audience at Manhattan’s Spring Studios, according to video posted online. “Luckily, they’re still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming.

“Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits while safeguarding against its dangers. And that hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.”

Harry urged the world to focus on “one of the most pressing issues of our time” and end the exploitation of children online.

“This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in the digital age, and we cannot do it without you,” Harry said.

The 41-year-old British royal referred to data from the ParentsTogether advocacy group that found children are exposed to harmful interactions with AI chatbots every five minutes.

“This wasn’t content created by a third party. These were the companies’ own chatbots working to advance their own depraved internal policies,” Harry said. “But here’s what gives us hope: these families aren’t facing this alone.”

Harry and Markle were honored at the gala for their work with the Archewell Foundation, which they co-founded together in 2020 under the core belief that mental health and collective wellbeing are paramount in the digital age.

“We knew this movement needed to grow,” Harry said. “These families are not only up against corporations and lobbyists, many of whom spend tens of millions of dollars every year in suppressing the truth, but also algorithms designed to maximize data collection at any cost.”

The couple was all smiles when they hit the red carpet for their rare public outing in the Big Apple.

Markle wore a minimalist all black Armani suit and plunging blazer with a gold chain necklace and stud earrings, highlighted by her hair tied back in a ponytail.

Prince Harry matched his wife of seven years in a black suit, white shirt and tie as the pair held hands on the red carpet.

The Sussexes being named Humanitarians of the Year comes days after the African nation of Chad cut ties with a charity linked to Harry because of “a recurring indelicate and disrespectful attitude toward the government.”

Non-profit African Parks had been tabbed to manage the wildlife reserves of the central African country, but there had been a resurgence in poaching and a lack of investment at the reserves managed by the conservation group, Environment Minister Hassan Bakhit Djamous said.

African Parks said in a statement it was in talks to “better understand the government’s position” and “explore the best way forward to support the continued protection of these landscapes that are critical to conservation.”

With Post wires