Prince Harry breaks his silence on rumours he and Meghan have quit social media over 'unsurvivable' trolling

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex alluded to the negative impact social media has had on his life with wife Meghan Markle, amid rumours he's quit all social platforms.

  • Prince Harry appeared on the Fast Company podcast and insisted he and Meghan Markle have not quit social media, but will "revisit" it "when it feels right"
  • The Duke opened up about the "false narrative" surrounding his relationship with Meghan, which led to the "mothership for all of the harassment"
  • It follows royal news of Kate Middleton's new lockdown hair

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not quit social media, but are taking a break from the platforms until they see "commitment to change" when it comes to trolling. And it's a fear the couple have for their son Archie.

The Duke of Sussex's admission comes just days after it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan were set for a digital detox, following Meghan's "almost unsurvivable" experience of trolling during her early days as a royal.

Opening up about the hate his wife received online, Prince Harry said a false narrative had been created and was being perpetually re-told. And it eventually led to the couple stepping down as senior royals.

"I was really surprised to witness how my story had been told one way, my wife’s story had been told one way, and then our union sparked something that made the telling of that story very different," he told the Fast Company podcast.

"That false narrative became the mothership for all of the harassment you’re referring to.

"It wouldn’t have even begun had our story just been told truthfully."

The couple have made no secret of the fact they think work needs to be done with the "incredibly powerful" social media companies, to work against the "crisis of hate" that can often be found in the digital landscape.

Meghan Markle protects her son Archie

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to protect their son Archie's future

And Prince Harry said people should be more aware of "fact-checking" and "taking a more compassionate approach" when considering leaving a comment - as they can cause real pain otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqFaBBAf9Q8

"These might seem like little things, but they add up," the father-of-one explained. "Humans crave connection, social bonds, and a sense of belonging. When we don't have those, we end up fractured, and in the digital age that can unfortunately be a catalyst for finding connection in mass extremism movements or radicalisation."

Pouring cold water over rumours they've "quit" social media altogether, however, Prince Harry revealed, "We will revisit social media when it feels right for us - perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform - but right now we've thrown much of our energy into learning about his space and how we can help."

Celebrity writer

Georgia is a Celebrity and Royal Writer working across GoodTo and Woman & Home, and the Director and Founder of communications company Farq Media. Prior to this she was Online Editor at New! Magazine – managing all of their digital content and social media accounts. Where she interviewed all of the hottest reality TV stars and spent far too much time commuting to London. She trained at Nottingham Trent University – where she achieved First Class Honours in Print Journalism whilst juggling copious amounts of work experience, freelance writing, blogging and having far too much fun with the dance society.