NEW YORK — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined families in mourning on Wednesday evening as they unveiled a powerful memorial in New York City that calls for urgent reform of social media.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a private vigil for a temporary installation called “The Lost Screen Memorial,” which features 50 smartphone lock screens. Each lock screen is in a lightbox, which displays the image of a child whose life ended too soon as a result of social media.

The parents of the children featured in the installation are all part of Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network and its No Child Lost to Social Media campaign. Parents submitted these “deeply personal images” of their children “to call attention to the urgent need for safer online spaces,” according to a statement from Archewell.

At the memorial, the affected parents gathered to view the installation and meet with other parents, as well as the duke and duchess, who spent nearly two hours connecting with each person at the event.

“It is a universal truth that our children are in harm’s way by what’s happening online,” Meghan told reporters, including HuffPost, at the event. “No matter how polarized the world is or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe.”

Prince Harry got visibly emotional while talking about the harrowing stories he’s heard from parents over the last several years about their children who lost their lives due to cyberbullying or other dangers on social media.

“The easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media,” Harry told HuffPost at the event. “The sad reality is that the kids that aren’t on social media normally get bullied at school because they can’t be part of the same conversations as everybody else.”

“Life is better off of social media,” Harry continued. “I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who’s spoken to many of the kids here tonight who are not on social media because they’ve lost a brother or a sister to social media. But clearly, enough is not enough. Enough is not being done.”

During the emotional unveiling of the installation, many people wept when they first saw their child’s photo. Families were able to place flowers in front of their child’s lightbox, and some parents described the overwhelming feeling of seeing their child on the screen. As the evening progressed and the sun set, the photos became even brighter, illuminating the entire space, which overlooked the city.

“That moment of coming around the corner and seeing it was a touch overwhelming, and that’s probably where I cried the most,” Amy Neville, who lost a son named Alexander, told HuffPost on Wednesday.

“But then going to my son’s lightbox, he’s cremated in his bedroom and so we don’t have a place to go,” she continued. “And so, that feeling came over me when I got over there — I’m like, ‘Oh wow, this is kind of like visiting the gravesite’ … and so that was a feeling I didn’t anticipate.”

Joanna Bogard, who lost her son Mason, said that “Any time you lose someone, a child, someone you love dearly — just having something tactile, something to look at, something to touch, something to say they were here and they were so important, it’s just such a gift. And this is such a gift.”

In addition to the lightboxes, parents were able to record their memories of their child in a digital version of the memorial.

“They were remembered for who they were, and not so much how they passed,” Bogard said. “And this gave us a chance to connect as a community of grieving parents — to talk about our kids in a way we don’t typically talk about them.”

“So many of us [parents] advocate through education, state legislation, federal legislation. We’re on Capitol Hill; we’re in the state lobby offices. We’re just doing so much. And we’re telling how they passed, but it’s not very often that we get to say, this is my child,” Bogard continued.

Bogard said Mason loved to fish and hike, and that he was adventurous.

“He loved so much about the world, and he was loved and he loved,” she said. “And this gives us that chance to exhale and focus on who Mason was and who our kids were, and then it gives us a chance to say thank you for giving us this opportunity to connect.”

One parent, Tammy Rodriguez, said that her daughter Selena “always loved the city.”

And now, with the exhibit, “she’s right in the middle, and she’s overlooking it.”

“Just seeing that really meant a lot to us,” said Rodriguez, who attended the memorial with her daughter Destiny.

“It’s been an absolute honor and pleasure just to be able to be here and exist with everyone and just kind of feel that mutual love and kind of grieve as well,” she added.

Both Tammy and Destiny Rodriguez spent time with Harry and Meghan, whom they described as “so down to earth” and “so sweet.”

Harry and Meghan have made the dangers of social media, especially as it concerns children, one of their core initiatives.

HuffPost previously reported on a panel on behalf of the Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit in New York City in October 2023, where parents of children who died by suicide spoke about their experiences.

The parents told audience members about how certain social media algorithms led their children down dangerous digital rabbit holes, and how tech companies and platforms outpaced parents who would consider themselves well-versed in social media.

Meghan said she found it “just devastating” to hear from the parents Archewell worked with, and said it was “impossible to not be in tears” when they shared their stories.

The Duchess of Sussex has spoken out about being the victim of cyberbullying on a global scale. In March 2021, she told Oprah Winfrey she was suicidal while living in the United Kingdom because she felt so isolated by royal life.

“I’m told that in 2019, I was the most trolled person in the entire world ― male or female,” Meghan said during a joint interview with Harry on the “Teenager Therapy” podcast in 2020.

“Eight months of that, I wasn’t even visible. I was on maternity leave with a baby,” the royal shared. “But what was able to be manufactured and churned out ― it’s almost unsurvivable.”

“That’s so big you can’t even think of what that feels like,” the royal added.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry was treated unfairly when he was stripped of his British security detail, his attorney told appeals court judges Tuesday.

Harry, whose rare appearance in court indicated the case’s importance to him, lost his government-funded protection in February 2020 after he stepped down from his role as a working member of the royal family and moved to the U.S.

A High Court judge ruled last year that a government panel’s decision to provide “bespoke” security for the Duke of Sussex on an as-needed basis was not unlawful, irrational or unjustified.

But attorney Shaheed Fatima argued that a group that evaluated Harry’s security needs failed to follow its own process and perform a risk management assessment.

“The appellant does not accept that bespoke means better,” Fatima said. “In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment.”

A lawyer for the government said Harry’s argument in the lower court was accurately found to have been based on an “inappropriate, formalist interpretation” of the government’s security review that was misconceived.

“The appeal is fairly to be characterized in the same way,” attorney James Eadie said. “It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture.”

The hearing before three Court of Appeal justices is due to end Wednesday and a written decision is expected later. While the hearing was livestreamed, some was to be conducted behind closed doors to discuss sensitive security details.

Harry arrived at court with a small security detail supplemented with court officers. He waved to cameras before disappearing into a private entrance.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, has bucked royal family convention by taking the government and tabloid press to court, where he has a mixed record.

But Harry rarely shows up to court hearings, making only a few appearances in the past two years. That included the trial of one of his phone hacking cases against the British tabloids when he was the first senior member of the royal family to enter the witness box in more than a century.

Harry claimed he and his family are endangered when visiting his homeland because of hostility aimed at him and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on social media and through relentless hounding by news media.

After being denied government-sponsored protection, Harry faced at least two serious security threats, his lawyer said in court papers. Al-Qaida had published a document that said Harry’s assassination would please Muslims, and he and his wife were involved in a dangerous pursuit by paparazzi in New York.

He lost a related court case in which he sought permission to privately pay for a police detail when in the U.K. but a judge denied that offer after a government lawyer argued officers shouldn’t be used as “private bodyguards for the wealthy.”

Harry also dropped a libel case against the publisher of the Daily Mail for an article that said he had tried to hide his efforts to continue receiving government-funded security.

But he won a significant victory at trial in 2023 against the publisher of the Daily Mirror when a judge found that phone hacking at the tabloid was “widespread and habitual.” He claimed a “monumental” victory in January when Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

He has a similar case pending against the publisher of the Mail.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s charity regulator has opened an investigation into an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry, a week after the prince and the organization’s board of trustees resigned amid a dispute with the charity’s chairwoman.

Sentebale, which provides support for young people in Botswana and Lesotho, has been wracked by turmoil since Harry and his co-founder abruptly resigned March 26, saying the relationship between the board and its chair was beyond repair.

Chair Sophie Chandauka later accused the prince of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment to try to force her out.

The Charity Commission said Thursday that it was in “direct contact” with parties on both sides to gather evidence in its compliance case.

“The regulator’s focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity’s current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law,” the commission said in a statement.

Chandauka criticized Harry in an interview with Sky News on Sunday, saying that filming for the prince’s latest Netflix program interfered with a scheduled fundraiser for Sentebale and an incident with his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction.

Harry co-founded Sentebale, which means “forget me not” in the language of Lesotho, nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

He said he hoped the Charity Commission would uncover “the truth” about what caused him to resign as patron of Sentebale.

“What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal,” he said in a statement. “No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.”

Harry’s resignation came as Chandauka made allegations of bullying, harassment, sexism and racism against unnamed board members.

Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho were patrons of Sentebale but weren’t on the board of trustees. They said they decided to relinquish their roles as ambassadors for the charity to support the former trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.

Chandauka, a corporate lawyer and businesswoman from Zimbabwe, welcomed the commission’s actions and said she had reported various governance and administration issues to the agency in February. She also said Sentebale initiated its own internal review last year.

“We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new Board of Trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive,” she said in a statement.

LONDON (AP) — The chairperson of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry accused the royal on Sunday of orchestrating a bullying and harassment campaign to try to force her out as she pushed back following his abrupt resignation from the organization.

Sophie Chandauka, the Sentebale chair, took several shots at Harry on Sky News in which she described how the prince’s Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and how an incident with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction.

The Duke of Sussex cited a breakdown in the relationship between board members and Chandauka when he resigned Tuesday as a patron of the charity he co-founded nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho said in a joint statement that they quit “with heavy hearts” as patrons in support of the trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.

“It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,” the princes said. “In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.”

Chandauka said she reported Sentebale’s trustees to the Charity Commission in the U.K. and filed papers in a British court to prevent her removal.

She alleged there was misconduct at the charity without naming anyone or offering any details in a statement Tuesday. It said she had tried to blow the whistle on “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir,” the latter word referring to a combination of racism and misogyny directed toward Black women.

Chandauka told Sky that Harry’s resignation had caught her blindsided and was “an example of harassment and bullying at scale.” She said he also had interfered with her whistleblower complaint.

“So it’s a cover-up, and the prince is involved,” she said.

Chandauka said there was a significant drop in donors after Harry and Meghan left official royal duties in January 2020, and eventually settled in California.

The charity, whose name means “don’t forget me” in the Sesotho language of Lesotho and South Africa, was founded to help youths affected by AIDS in the small mountainous nation and in Botswana. But it is now moving to address youth health, wealth and climate resilience in southern Africa.

The biggest risk to the charity was the “toxicity of its lead patron’s brand,” Chandauka told the Financial Times.

A person close to the charity’s patrons and trustees and familiar with events countered Chandauka’s claims. The person, who requested anonymity because the allegations are under scrutiny by the Charity Commission, said Harry and Seeiso had sent a resignation letter to the chair on March 10 — two weeks before they went public with the news.

The person said the trustees and patrons were firm in their decision to leave and had collectively decided to resign with the expectation Chandauka would pull such a publicity stunt after their departure.

In the Sky interview, she said that a polo fundraiser scheduled in Miami last year almost fell apart when Harry asked to bring a camera crew along that was filming him for a Netflix series on the sport.

The cost of the venue skyrocketed when it became a commercial venture and they scrambled to find another host, which Harry arranged through his connections, she said.

Meghan’s surprise appearance at the event led to an awkward moment during the trophy presentation after the match, Chandauka said.

In a video clip circulated on social media, Chandauka tried to pose next to the duke as he held the trophy in one hand and had his other wrapped around Meghan. But the duchess appeared to gesture that Chandauka move farther from Harry, forcing her to duck under the silver cup to get into the photo.

“The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me,” Chandauka said.

She said she rejected Harry’s request that she issue a statement in support of Meghan, because “we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes.”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Prince Harry has resigned as a patron of an African charity he co-founded nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, citing a breakdown in the relationship between board members and the chairwoman.

The Duke of Sussex along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who co-founded Sentebale in 2006, said in a joint statement Tuesday they had quit “with heavy hearts” as patrons in support of the trustees in their dispute with chairwoman Sophie Chandauka.

“It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,” the princes said.

“These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the well-being of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.”

Chandauka said she had reported Sentebale’s trustees to the Charity Commission in the U.K. and filed papers in a British court to prevent her removal. In a statement, she made allegations of misconduct at the charity without naming anyone or giving details.

“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to (the) press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir,” Chandauka said.

Misogynoir refers to a combination of racism and misogyny directed toward Black women.

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said they would approach the Charity Commission, a government department in the U.K. that regulates philanthropic organizations.

“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about,” Harry and Seeiso said.

“Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.”

Britain’s Press Association reported that the Charity Commission said it was “aware of concerns about the governance” of Sentebale, which is registered in the U.K., and was assessing the issues.

Sentebale, which means “don’t forget me” in the Sesotho language of Lesotho and South Africa, was initially focused on helping children and young people affected by AIDS in the small mountainous nation of Lesotho and Botswana.

Sentebale said in a statement it was evolving into an organization that addresses larger issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in southern Africa. It said it has not received resignations from its royal patrons.

Harry co-founded the charity after he spent time working at an orphanage in Lesotho during a gap year. He last visited Sentebale in Lesotho in October, when he spoke with young people and others connected to the charity.

He told them: “You might not always realize how significant your influence is, but if it changes even one person’s life, it’s worth it.”

Associated Press writer Keketso Phakela in Maseru, Lesotho, contributed to this report.

LONDON (AP) — Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made a rare apology to Prince Harry in settling his privacy invasion lawsuit and will pay him a substantial sum, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne read a statement in court saying News Group offers a “full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex” for years of unlawful intrusion.

The bombshell announcement in London’s High Court came as the Duke of Sussex’s trial was about to start against the publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World for unlawfully snooping on him over decades.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other man were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully intruded in their lives.

In all the cases that have been brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harry’s case got the closest to trial.

Murdoch shut down the News of the World after the Guardian reported that the tabloid’s reporters had hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her in 2002.

As the case was about to start Tuesday morning, his lawyer asked for a one-hour recess, then got a longer adjournment and finally asked to have the rest of the day as it became clear a settlement was in the works.

The case was one of three lawsuits Harry has brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops.

His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the newspaper and its sister publications.

During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchy’s desire to keep its problems out of view.

His feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs.

But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.

He blames the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.

The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary “Tabloids On Trial.”

He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million).

“I’m doing this for my reasons,” Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him.

Harry was originally one among dozens of claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who alleged that News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy between 1994 and 2016 by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.

Of the original group, Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the holdouts headed to trial.

News Group had denied the allegations.

NGN had issued an unreserved apology to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World and said it settled more than 1,300 claims. The Sun has never accepted liability.

The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how Harry’s third case — against the publisher of the Daily Mail — will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year.