Meghan says she was 'most trolled person in the world'

Alongside her husband, the Duchess of Sussex was speaking to young people in Melbourne about the harms of social media.

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Alongside her husband, the Duchess of Sussex was speaking to young people in Melbourne about the harms of social media.

The Duchess of Sussex has said that for 10 years she was the “most trolled person in the entire world” online.

Speaking in Melbourne about the harms of social media, alongside the Duke of Sussex, Meghan said she was “bullied” every day for a decade and that tech companies were “not incentivised to stop” their platforms being misused.

The couple are in Australia on a four-day tour as non-working royals and used a meeting on Thursday with representatives of a mental health programme to voice their support for the country’s under-16 social media ban.

On the same day, Prince Harry gave a keynote speech at a workplace culture summit, with tickets costing up to A$2,400 (£1,260) per person.

The event that Meghan and Prince Harry took part in was at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology.

During the sit-down chat, Meghan told the group: “When I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks - that’s not going to change.

Her husband added that he thought Australia’s social media ban for children was “epic” from a “responsibility and leadership standpoint”.

Prince Harry said “so many countries have now followed suit” - but that “it should have never, ever got to a ban”.

Echoing some of his wife’s criticism of tech companies who own the platforms, he said they “have to be accountable, and there’s no way that young people should be punished by being banned from something that should be safe to use, no matter what”.

Speaking later at the InterEdge Summit, also in Melbourne, the prince spoke about a number of things - including the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

“In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age,” he told the event. “Grief does not disappear because we ignore it. Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you.”

He also said he had felt “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless” at various points in his life.

Prince Harry was not paid a fee for the speech, PA news agency reports.

Also on the third day of the tour, the couple joined an Aboriginal walking tour called the Scar Tree Walk, an important cultural heritage site experience in the city.

Led by local Indigenous guides, the couple walked along the Birrarung, which is the traditional name for Mel

— The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was “bullied and attacked” every day for 10 years on social media and was “the most trolled person in the entire world”.

Addressing a classroom of young people involved with the mental health organisation Batyr on the third day of her Australian visit, Meghan said social media companies were “not incentivised to stop”.

“And 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.”

Speaking at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology, the duchess added: “Now, I’m still here. And when I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks – that’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that.”

During the discussion, Harry described Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media as “epic” from a “responsibility and leadership standpoint”.

He said: “Australia took the lead. Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban. 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.” He continued: “Because so many countries have now followed suit, but it should have never got to a ban.”

The duke and duchess have long championed raising awareness about the dangers of social media.

Harry said: “It should have never, ever got to a ban. And now that the ban is in place, now what follows? Because the companies themselves have to be accountable, and there’s no way that young people should be punished by being banned from something that should be safe to use, no matter what.”

Earlier on Thursday, the duke and duchess took part in Melbourne’s Scar Tree Walk, which bridges traditional and contemporary Aboriginal cultures and the histories of the peoples of the Kulin nation.

Joggers and cyclists appeared gobsmacked to spot the duke and duchess wandering through one of the city’s most beloved running routes along the banks of the Yarra River.

Follo wour live blog for the latest Prince Harry and Meghan tour updates by clicking here.

— Meghan Markle has told Australian students she believes she is “the most trolled person in the world”.

The Duchess of Sussex said the trolling came as she was “bullied and attacked” relentlessly every day for 10 years on social media.

The claims came during a discussion with young members and associates of Australian mental health organisation Batyr at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology on Thursday, the third day of the Sussexes’ private tour of Australia.

Prince Harry initially addressed the crowd, stating that social media had “led to so much loneliness for so many people”.

Meghan then spoke to the classroom, saying social media companies were “not incentivised to stop”.

Calmly and candidly, the duchess added: “And 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.

“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.

“And when I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that…