Prince Harry appeared visibly moved as he met British families in Los Angeles who say they lost children due to the harmful effects of social media.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, thanked attendees at the gathering and emotionally told them, “None of you should be here.” The event is believed to have taken place on Wednesday evening, with Harry joined by his wife, Meghan Markle.
In a heartfelt speech filmed near the courthouse in Santa Monica and later broadcast on BBC Breakfast, Harry said: “None of you should be here. Thank you for doing everything that you’ve done. Thank you for telling your stories over and over again.”
He continued: “Truth, justice and accountability. Those are the three things that will come from this.”
The event coincides with a major legal case examining the mental health impact of social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube.
Prince Harry also reflected on his own legal battles, including his case concerning personal security arrangements in the UK and his ongoing privacy dispute with the publisher of the Daily Mail. However, he stressed that the situation facing the families was “vastly different,” describing their struggle as a “David versus Goliath” fight.
Continuing his remarks, the Prince said: “When you were sitting in court and if you have that feeling of just overwhelming emotion because you can’t believe that the people on the other side are saying what they’re saying, that by the very nature of them defending what they’re defending, the lies that they are stating, is devaluing life, is devaluing your children’s lives, if that brings stuff up for you, it is totally normal.”
Prince Harry depаrts The Royal Courts of Justice after attending day 3 of a court case аgainst Associated Newspapers Ltd on January 21, 2026
“Do not feel ashamed, do not feel concernеd. Even if the judge – as I heard – turned round and asked you not to show emotion.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a strongly worded statement about the dangers posed by social media, describing the current moment as “pivotal.” In an essay shared on their website, they wrote: “Families devastated by online harm have waited too long for this moment.”
The couple also highlighted their initiative, The Parents’ Network, a growing support community for families dealing with the impact of cyberbullying and online “manipulation.”
The statement, which referenced the court case in the US, concluded: “We invite you to support these brave families and parents who have paid the ultimate cost in losing a child, yet who still stand strong and ready to fight for the rights of other families, championing their efforts as they advocate for the protection of all children online.” Harry and Meghan themselves share two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, four.
READ MORE: Princess Kate Makes Surprise Appearance Just Days After Major Statement
Legal action is being taken against Meta, YouTube, Snap Inc. and TikTok by individuals who allege that these platforms caused serious harm to their mental health when they were children.
Both Snapchat and TikTok are reported to have reached settlements before the trial proceedings began.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, argued that heavy social media use should not automatically be classified as addiction. He explained: “It’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use. I’m sure I’ve said that I’ve been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think it’s the same thing as clinical addiction.”
The court proceedings are expected to run for around six weeks and mark the first jury trial to examine whether social media companies intentionally designed their platforms in ways that encourage addictive behaviour among children. The case is expected to scrutinise features such as “infinite” scrolling and algorithms alleged to manipulate user engagement.
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