Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have settled into their new home in Santa Barbara and used it as a backdrop for a joint appearance.
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Meghan and Harry stepped as senior royals earlier in the year and just recently purchased a home in Santa Barbara, California with their son Archie. A glimpse of their new home was on display as they participated in a virtual chat with activists.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, acting in their capacity as president and vice president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, took part in a virtual discussion about shaping the digital space with young leaders. Nicola Brentnall, Chief executive of the QCT, led the half-hour conversation.
The other participants in the Zoom conference included Brighton Kaoma, Founder of Agents of Change Foundation in Zambia; Hunter Johnson, Founder of The Man Cave in Australia; Rosie Thomas, Co-Founder of Project Rockit in Australia; and Vee Kativhu, Study & Empowerment YouTuber and Founder of Empowered by Vee.
The video was shot earlier this week and uploaded Thursday. The couple stressed the importance of using the online community as a force for good.
“Everyone’s mental and emotional well-being are perhaps more fragile than ever before, certainly with COVID and our dependability on devices right now in the absence of human interaction. People are going online more than ever before to feel community,” Meghan said.
The duchess, 39, maintained that ignoring social media trolling and its excessive harm is a “key piece of the puzzle” in order to bring about more positivity.
“You can either train people to be cruel, or you can train people to be kind,” continued Meghan. “It’s really that simple.”
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Harry, 35, invoked his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, as a figure who has sought to include the voices of the younger generation through Britain’s commonwealth.
“I think everything my grandmother wanted to achieve when she took this huge responsibility on, she’s managed,” he said.
“Hearing you guys, and knowing the broad spectrum that QCT engulfs, you’re the definition of the 21st century Commonwealth, and what it means to be part of it. You are there, standing for equality, for mutual respect and for fairness.”
Kativhu shared that she wanted to use the digital world as a way of connecting people from all walks of life.
“I created my community online because I wanted young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to know that you’re seen, you’re heard, you’re talented, you’re amazing, and wherever your dream goal or university is, you can go there and do well—you don’t have to alter yourself,” said Kativhu.
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Harry and Meghan, parents to Archie,1, were in agreement that they wanted the toxicity of social media to be lessened by the time he came of age. Harry said it was up to the younger generation and joked that he was “way too old.”
“You’ve got to stop, we’re not old!” Meghan replied.
“But it’s true,” Harry said. “This is the world you’re going to inherit.”
“And Archie!” Meghan interjected.
“And Archie,” Harry repeated. “It’s on all of us collectively to make the world a better place…and we are.”
Watch the full video below.
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