Meghan takes to stage again after being named Humanitarian of the Year

Meghan Markle has taken to the stage at a World Mental Health Day festival in New York just hours after both she and Prince Harry were crowned ‘Humanitarians of The Year’. Today, both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared on stage at the event run by Project Health Minds, where their non-profit organisation Archewell foundation was hosting three panels.

Prince Harry was first to address the crowd to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, saying it caused ‘a surge in anxiety and depression ‘, while his wife Meghan sat front row. The 41-year-old introduced the session titled ‘Thriving or Surviving: How Are Young People Doing in the Digital Age?’, where he reflected on the past five years, noting how ‘painfully that crises rarely arrive in isolation.’ ‘The global pandemic stripped away the ordinary scaffolding of life and brought a measurable surge in anxiety, depression and loss of connection,’ he said, while blasting a digital world ‘designed to keep us scrawling at the expense of sleep and real human contact.’

Further addressing attendees, he added: ‘Today is more than just about conversation — it’s about community.’ It comes after they received a standing ovation upon their arrival at the even earlier today, before being named as ‘Humanitarians of the Year’ at yesterday’s glitzy event in New York. Meghan was praised as ‘a mother, wife, entrepreneur, and philanthropist’ as she received the award. Harry’s work with mental health companies and his controversial 2021 memoir Spare were listed among his achievements.

Elsewhere, Harry’s wife Meghan, 44, took to the stage to introduce the second panel. The second talk titled ‘How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an International Mental Health Criss, And How We Can Reverse It,’ discussed children, their mental health and its impact on young people. Introducing the panel, the Duchess of Sussex said they would discuss the most pressing questions families face in the modern age, such as ‘what do we do to allow our children to just be children.’

Highlighting the Archwell Foundation’s The Parents Network, which helps parents negatively affected by social media, she reflected on how families who had their worlds ‘absolutely shattered’ by online harms. ‘Parents who had lost children to social media driven suicide,’ she said. ‘Others who had lost so many of their children to struggles with depression, anxiety, self-harm all inflicted by online harms.’ Parents didn’t only need therapy, they needed other caregivers and guardians who also understood their particular grief, Meghan told the crowd.

‘And when they came together, they weren’t just sharing stories, they’re creating a movement. They turned their grief into advocacy, and when they let love fuel their fight for change, we saw tremendous impact,’ she said. Earlier, The Duchess of Sussex used her acceptance speech for the Humanitarian award to voice fears about Archie and Lilibet growing up in a digital age. The couple were very tactile on the red carpet and later discussed how excessive screen time can harm family life.

While accepting the award, Meghan said: ‘Our children, Archie and Lili, are just six and four years old. Luckily still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming. ‘Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits, while safeguarding against its dangers. That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.’ Meghan was joined on stage by Harry, who also shared words of wisdom about the dangers of technological advancements.

He said: ‘This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in a digital age.’ Project Healthy Minds’ ‘Humanitarians of the Year’ award has only been won once before, last year. Jeff Yabuki and his wife Gail got the gong for their commitment to mental health work after Jeff’s brother took his own life in 2017. During the gala, Harry and Meghan announced their organization The Parents’ Network would join forces with Parents Together, to give the initiative ‘broader reach and deeper impact as technology continued its rapid evolution.’

The duo said the move was ‘a natural evolution to enable the community to continue to grow and have more impact alongside the rapid rise of technology’. ‘We know that the challenges ahead are significant,’ they said, ‘but we also know that when parents come together, when communities unite, real change is possible.’ Their comments on digital dangers come just a day after Prince Harry ‘s sister-in-law Kate Middleton voiced similar worries about disconnect in an increasingly digitised world. ‘When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to emails while playing with our children, we’re not just being distracted; we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires,’ she said.

Elsewhere, Project Healthy Minds founder and CEO Phillip Schermer spoke briefly about the couple’s work, telling the crowd: ‘It is a privilege to honor Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, at our World Mental Health Day Gala this year. ‘Their leadership, generosity, and unwavering commitment to advancing mental health awareness have made a profound difference in the lives of so many.’ Meghan and Harry first publicly supported Project Healthy Minds at an event in Seattle in 2023.

The couple spoke at a panel coordinated by their Archewell Foundation in New York City as part of a second annual mental health awareness festival. Harry and Meghan called for modifications to addictive apps, claiming they can harm young people’s mental health. The Sussexes have also promoted the Project Healthy Minds (PHM) on the Archewell website as they promoted World Mental Health Day. Archewell’s public tax returns don’t suggest the charity has donated money to PHM – but they may have done so privately.