Meghan’s team announced the trip, designed to spotlight children’s online safety, on May 15, the day Kate returned from her first solo overseas trip in four years, highlighting early years education in Reggio Emilia. Social media commentators suggested the duchess “has to have her own European solo trip because Catherine had one”.
One Reddit user said Meghan’s “copying” of the Princess of Wales had become “so predictable”, while another claimed she had been “jealous” of the positive attention Kate’s trip received. “In other words, she had a hissy fit because Catherine had a highly successful, well-received visit to Italy,” a third added. “Now she has a sudden urge to prove she can do solo trips too. This is the best she could come up with? Another PR stint funded by Archewell?”
Meghan described online safety for children as a “public health issue” during a speech in Geneva as part of the trip, which was jointly organised by the Sussexes’ Archewell Philanthropies and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
She went on to compare the dangers of online spaces to other public safety concerns, calling on governments and policymakers to extend interventions already enforced in other areas.
“We did not tell parents to create their own seatbelts. We did not ask children to test unsafe medicine. We did not shrug at poisoned water or defective toys and call it the price of progress,” she said. “We acted. And now the world must act again.”
Harry and Meghan have both previously advocated for stronger protections for children online, including by unveiling a memorial in New York City to young people who list their lives due to the harmful effects of social media last April.
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales travelled to Italy to learn first-hand about the Reggio Emilia Approach, named after the city that pioneered the teaching method recognised across the globe for stressing the importance of parents, educators and the environment that surround a young child.
The future queen received a rapturous welcome from Reggio Emilia’s residents on Wednesday when she arrived outside the town hall and was greeted by the mayor, who later presented her with the city’s highest honour in recognition of her work promoting the early years development of children.
In a message written by Kate and posted on her social media accounts, she said: “Over the past two days in Reggio Emilia, I have seen first hand the power of nature and creativity that put human connection at the centre of a child’s world.
“I have had such a deeply moving and unforgettable time here. Thank you to the people of Reggio Emilia for welcoming me into a culture of care with such warmth and generosity. Our collective work in early childhood must be to protect and nurture the connections that form the foundations of life-long wellbeing.”
She ended with words in Italian, ‘Grazie di cuore’ – ‘Thank you with all my heart’.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
