'The world privacy tour didn't work out': Prince Harry's slammed for claim wife Meghan Markle was 'most trolled person in the world' during surprise solo appearance in New York

Sky News AU

19 hours ago

Prince Harry has raised eyebrows with fresh comments about his wife Meghan Markle and the online trolling she faced in 2018.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, made the remarks during a surprise solo appearance at the Nexus Global Summit in New York on Friday, where he joined Nexus co-founder Rachel Gerrol for a panel discussion on digital safety for children, a cause he and his 43-year-old wife have long championed through their Archewell Foundation.
"Why the digital world was so important to us was because my wife in 2018 was the most trolled person in the world," he told the audience.
"So there was a lived experience in that."
The claim has sparked criticism, with Sky News host Caroline Di Russo questioning the timing and relevance of the comment.
"Of course it isn't fair for anybody to be trolled," Di Russo said.
"But when someone is in the public sphere there is bound to be criticism."
She added: "The world privacy tour didn't quite go the way we thought that it would… so why is he bringing this up now?"
Daily Express royal reporter Pandora Forsyth also weighed in, suggesting that Harry's public appearances no longer carry the impact they once did.
"If you think back to a few years ago, if Harry was appearing in New York, it would be sort of like front page headlines," she said.
"But he does so many of these conferences and appearances now, it sort of seeps into the background."
While Forsyth said it's unclear whether the Duke was paid for the event, she noted these engagements are becoming more frequent now that the Sussexes are "financially independent".
Forsyth acknowledged the importance of the broader cause protecting children from the dangers of online bullying, but questioned Harry's decision to draw focus to Meghan's past experience.
"He is trying as best he can to link back to actually quite a noble cause, which is children who have unfortunately and very tragically committed suicide… part of the reason is because of online trolling," she said.
"But this was in 2018, and if he keeps on linking it back to this, then I sort of think it takes away from the really important matter at hand.
"We know Meghan got trolled, and we are not saying that is good, it should have never have happened," Forsyth added.
"But now the headline, actually, is Meghan- not that."
Forsyth said the Prince "really needs to think about how he is communicating that message and how he is standing up for those families" to ensure their stories remain front and centre.
"Not Meghan being trolled, which we have heard about many, many times before."
Elsewhere in the panel discussion, Harry encouraged attendees to "consider their own legacies" and "align their investments accordingly".
"Whatever you put out there, you get back," he said.
Following the talk, the Duke met with the Australian Nexus delegation, a group of social impact leaders and philanthropic organisations working to tackle mental health and social media harms.