Harry and Meghan arrive at EU parliament in Brussels holding hands

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first public appearance in Belgium since Thomas Markle was charged with possession of child sex abuse material. Arriving at the Paul-Henri Spaak building at the European Parliament, the Duchess was seen holding her husband's hand tightly but did not respond to reporter questions regarding her feelings. KahawaTungu reports that Meghan withdrew from speaking because she did not feel emotionally strong enough, leaving Prince Harry to deliver the keynote address alone.

During his speech, the Duke of Sussex called for greater protection for children online and praised the EU Kids Act, a proposed law regulating how children use online services. He stated that he was speaking as a father and noted that he and his wife stand with parents who have lost children to online harm. He emphasized that children deserve to feel safe in environments including playgrounds and classrooms.

While the Duke's speech addressed the importance of preventing online harm, KahawaTungu notes he did not reference Meghan's father. Thomas Markle, who has previously denied the allegations, is currently under home arrest and electronic monitoring following his appearance in a Florida court.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, KahawaTungu, Euronews — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.