Meghan Markle used a Geneva appearance on Sunday to call on global policymakers to urgently confront the rising epidemic of online child exploitation and digital violence.
However, she has been accused of trying to upstage her estranged sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, who recently embarked on a working trip to Italy to promote her work on early childhood development.
The accusation comes amid reports that Meghan was angered by Kate’s trip to Italy, which not only reinforced the Princess of Wales’ image as the monarchy’s “golden girl,” but also pushed her back into global headlines and reignited comparisons between the two women.
Meghan delivered an urgent address at the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva on Sunday, warning global tech companies and policymakers about the rising epidemic of online child exploitation and digital violence.
The high-profile event, held on the eve of the 79th World Health Assembly, was co-hosted by the World Health Organization and Archewell Philanthropies, the charitable foundation she co-founded with her husband, Prince Harry.
During her remarks, Meghan urged leaders to recognize that children are being targeted by platforms “designed to capture attention at any cost: relentless algorithms, exploitative engagement, and endless exposure to harmful content that they are not seeking out,” per GB News.
She also warned that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are “not just repeating past mistakes,” but “accelerating and amplifying” them.
Meghan Accused Of Trying To Upstage Princess Kate
However, the former “Suits” actress has been accused of trying to upstage and outshine Kate’s recent trip to Italy, where the Princess of Wales carried out a “fact-finding mission” tied to her “life’s work” in early childhood development.
Some internet users later went online to suggest that Meghan’s Geneva appearance was a response to Kate’s Italian tour.
“Was this event planned way before Catherine’s trip to Italy, or is this a quick trip put together by her PR team to counter the Princess of Wales?” one X user wrote. “This is embarrassing.”
Another person added, “They are incapable of conceiving a single original thought of their own. This has already been championed by hundreds of people. It’s jumping on the bandwagon, pretending they’re changing the world. Well, sorry to break it to you megs but it’s old news luv.”
Meghan Markle Pays Tribute To Children Lost To Digital Harm
One of the major focal points of the event was an installation featuring 50 illuminated lightboxes, each standing vertically and displaying the mobile phone lock screen of a child who lost their life to digital harm.
As she spoke, the Duchess acknowledged the glowing screens behind her, urging the audience to see the human faces behind the statistics.
“Each name belonged to a child who was loved beyond measure,” Meghan said. “A child whose laughter once filled a kitchen. Whose shoes once waited by a front door. Whose future once felt limitless. Now their faces ask the world questions we can no longer avoid.”
Meghan Has Faced Her Own Online Attacks
Meghan’s trip to Switzerland marks a global escalation of Archewell’s “No Child Lost to Social Media” campaign. According to the BBC, the initiative originally debuted in New York in 2025 alongside The Parents’ Network.
In April last year, the couple unveiled a similar memorial while honoring young people who lost their lives to the dangers of social media. Several months later, during a New York gala, Harry described the problem as “one of the most pressing issues of our time.”
During their recent “quasi-royal” trip to Australia, Meghan seemingly alluded to the dangers of social media when she said she believed she was the “most trolled person” in the world.
Meghan Markle Reportedly Fumes Over Kate Attention
Meanwhile, Meghan is said to be upset that she continues to be compared with Kate and reportedly believes she and Harry are being made to play by a “different rulebook.”
According to Morning Honey, sources claimed she was angered by the attention Kate received from her trip to Italy and believes it was a calculated move by royal forces to undermine and embarrass her.
“Meghan is said to be absolutely furious about the comparisons being drawn between her and Kate because she feels the palace and royal insiders are once again using Catherine’s public image to subtly undermine and embarrass her on the world stage,” a source close to the Duchess said.
They continued, “From Meghan’s perspective, every time Kate steps out for one of these carefully orchestrated tours, the narrative immediately becomes about dignity, duty, and elegance, while Meghan gets painted as fame-hungry or overly commercial.”
