The Duchess of Sussex confessed she was the “most trolled person in the entire world” for a decade as she and Prince Harry wrapped up their final day in Melbourne.
It was the latest stop on their whirlwind four-day trip to Australia, where Meghan and Harry attended a mental health program, hosted by batyr at Swinburne University of Technology.
At the Hawthorn campus, Meghan confessed she was relentlessly “bullied and attacked” on social media for 10 years, and she claimed the companies were “not incentivised to stop”.
“I can speak to that really personally, which is why I like to listen, because it rings true for me in a very real way,” she said.
“For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked.
“And I was the most trolled person in the entire world.”
At the batyr, the Duke of Sussex praised Australia’s social media ban for users under 16, labelling the move “epic”.
“Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban,” he said.
“Now we can sit here and debate the pros and cons of a ban – I’m not here to judge that.
“All I will say is from a responsibility and leadership standpoint – epic.”
Later in the afternoon, the Duke of Sussex held a keynote speech, where he got vulnerable about the impact of his mother’s death in 1997 and how it helped shape him to be the man he is today.
He explained the death of his mother, Princess Diana, shortly before his 13th birthday made him rethink his role with the Royal Family.
“I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role – wherever this is headed, I don’t like it,” he said.
“It killed my mum and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years.”
During the summit, he said there were moments in his life where he felt “powerless” and “lost”, with no other choice but to “show up and pretend everything is OK”.
The duke and duchess last visited Australia in 2018, when the newlyweds undertook an official visit.
It was there Meghan announced she was pregnant with their first child, Archie.
Earlier in the morning, the former royal couple were guided through Melbourne for a Scar Tree Walk, hosted by members of the Koorie Heritage Trust, exploring significant Aboriginal sites and contemporary installations along the Yarra (Birrarung).
It was there they were greeted by some adoring fans, including three-year-old Heidi, who was keen to say hello to the couple.
Her father Rohan, who lives across the river, said it was “surreal” to meet the formerly royal couple.
“I just live across the river, and we do a morning walk down here,” he said.
“Usually the playground is open, and they’ve got a food festival happening, and we just ran into them coming down here.”
The pair will now jet off to Sydney, where they’ll spend the final day of their Australian tour, sailing around the Sydney Harbour with members of Invictus Australia.
They’ll later attend a rugby match between the NSW Waratahs and Moana Pasifika at Allianz Stadium.
The Duke of Sussex is the founder and patron of the Invictus Games – a multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick veterans founded in 2014.
Meghan is also the headline attraction at a luxury women’s wellness event in Sydney on the weekend.
Tickets for the exclusive wellness event start at $2699, co-hosted by Gemma O’Neill, host of the podcast Her Best Life and manager of Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
Originally published as ‘Killed my mum’: Harry’s shock confession about the Royal Family, mental health and burnout in Melbourne
Read related topics:Prince HarryQueen Elizabeth