During her and Prince Harry’s tour of Australia, Meghan Markle made a dramatic claim, dubbing herself “the most trolled person in the entire world.”
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On April 16, the couple visited Batyr, an Australian youth mental health organization, at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. While there, they spoke with students about the impact of online bullying.
“Every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked,” the 44-year-old mom of two said, according to PEOPLE.
“I was the most trolled person in the entire world,” the former Suits star declared.
Markle shared that navigating online abuse “rings true for me in a very real way,” before advising students on how to handle the “cruelty” of cyberbullying.
“That industry, that billion-dollar industry that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks — that’s not going to change,” Markle told the students.
Prince Harry, meanwhile, recalled waiting until he was “literally in the fetal position… lying on the kitchen floor” before considering therapy. He noted that while social media has “led to so much loneliness for so many people,” getting help can make a difference.
The 41-year-old, who moved from the United Kingdom to Montecito, California, with his wife in 2020, said city living was detrimental to his mental health.
Harry Delivered a Lengthy Keynote Address on Mental Health Later That Day
Later that day, the couple attended the InterEdge Summit at Melbourne Park’s CENTREPIECE venue. Harry delivered the keynote address, speaking for 19 minutes on workplace mental health and reflecting on the grief he experienced after his mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997 when he was 12.
“Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges,” Harry told attendees, per PEOPLE, adding that “without purpose, it can break you.”
Harry also admitted to feeling “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless” many times throughout his life. After his speech, Harry reportedly told Australian business leader and former politician Brendan Nelson that he didn’t want to be a royal after his mother’s death.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role — wherever this is headed, I don’t like it,’” Harry explained.
“It killed my mum, and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years,” he added.
Harry said, however, that he eventually realized his late mother would have wanted him to use his platform and resources to make a difference in the world.