--- title: "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry open memorial for children lost to the internet at the European Parliament" description: "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the Lost Screen Memorial opening in Brussels. The Duchess canceled her speech after her father's arrest, and Harry called on tech companies to protect children online." date: 2026-11-10T16:06:21.840Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/meghan-markle-harry-open-lost-screen-memorial tags: [megan-markle, prince-harry, european-parliament, child-safety, internet-safety, thomas-markle] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Meghan Markle and Prince Harry open memorial for children lost to the internet at the European Parliament ![Meghan Markle with a slight smile in a plaid jacket at an official European Parliament event](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/megan-markle-garry-otkryli-memorial-lost-screen-v-evroparlamente/megan-markle-garry-otkryli-memorial-lost-screen-v-evroparlamente-1.webp) ## Key Points - The opening of the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament was Meghan Markle's first public appearance since her father Thomas Markle's arrest. - The Duchess's speech was canceled: according to The Telegraph, she did not feel emotionally ready for a public address. - Prince Harry urged tech companies to be transparent about risks to children and called for international cooperation in their protection. On November 10, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial installation at the European Parliament building in Brussels. The event marked Meghan Markle's first public appearance since the arrest of her father, Thomas Markle Sr., in the United States. Prince Harry delivered a scheduled speech, while the Duchess's performance was cancelled on the eve of the event. ### First public appearance after father's arrest On November 9, a spokesperson for the Duchess confirmed that Meghan would travel to Brussels with her husband, but her part of the speech was cancelled. According to a source for The Telegraph, after her father's detention, she did not feel emotionally ready for a public speech. Thus, only Prince Harry spoke at the memorial opening, although the speech was initially intended to be joint. ### What the Lost Screen Memorial represents The Lost Screen Memorial installation consists of 50 light panels in the shape of smartphones. The screens display portraits of children and teenagers whose deaths are linked by their families to experiences online. The installation was first presented in April 2025 in New York, and in November 2026 it was shown in Brussels as part of an event at the European Parliament. ### Harry's call to tech companies Speaking in Brussels, Prince Harry urged technology companies to be more transparent about the risks to children on their platforms. He emphasized that states must cooperate to ensure children are protected regardless of where they live. "A child's safety should never depend on what country they call home," the Duke of Sussex declared. ### Context: the Thomas Markle case The FBI arrested 82-year-old Thomas Markle on November 6 in Florida. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, he was indicted on federal charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. Following the hearing, he was released to an elderly care facility under electronic monitoring, and the court ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine Markle's fitness to stand trial. According to Sky News, Meghan Markle previously stated that she has not spoken to her father since 2018, when he was first accused of sexual offenses. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Меган Маркл отменила выступление в Европарламенте после ареста отца](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/stars/megan-markl-skasuvala-vistup-evroparlamenti-1794325226.html) - Primary source: date of visit November 10, cancellation of Meghan's speech, description of the memorial (50 panels), Harry's quote, details of Thomas Markle's arrest on November 6 and psychiatric evaluation. - [Меган Маркл отказалась выступать после скандала с отцом](https://svpressa.ru/showbiz/news/540128/) - Citing Sky News, it confirms the cancellation of the speech and emotional unreadiness; adds that Meghan has not spoken to her father since 2018. - [Меган Маркл отменила выступление в Европарламенте после ареста отца](https://360.ru/news/znamenitosti/megan-markl-otmenila-vystuplenie-v-evroparlamente-posle-aresta-ottsa/) - Citing Sky News and The Sun, it confirms the speech cancellation, Harry's participation alone; mentions release under monitoring and a plea of not guilty. - [Меган Маркл отказалась от выступления в Европарламенте после задержания отца](https://riamo.ru/news/obschestvo/megan-markl-otkazalas-ot-vystuplenija-v-evroparlamente-posle-zaderzhanija-ottsa/) - Citing Izvestia, it confirms the cancellation of the speech following the arrest of her father in the US. ## FAQ ### Why did Meghan Markle not speak at the memorial opening? Her speech was canceled the day before; according to a source from The Telegraph, the Duchess did not feel emotionally ready for a public speech following her father's arrest. Only Prince Harry delivered a speech. ### What is the Lost Screen Memorial? It is an installation of 50 smartphone-shaped light panels featuring portraits of children and teenagers whose deaths their families attribute to online experiences. It was first exhibited in April 2025 in New York. ### What did Prince Harry say at the event? Harry urged tech companies to speak openly about the risks to children on their platforms and emphasized the need for international cooperation, stating that a child's safety should not depend on the country they call home. ### What is known about the arrest of Meghan Markle's father? The FBI arrested 82-year-old Thomas Markle on November 6 in Florida; he faces federal charges of possession of child sexual abuse material. He was released under electronic monitoring and faces a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.