Today, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle find themselves at the center of political controversy once more, this time in Australia, after expressing their support for the Labor government’s sweeping social media restrictions.

Australia has become the first nation to enforce age limits on social media, mandating that major platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram prevent users under 16 from creating accounts.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have commended this initiative and have encouraged other nations to adopt similarly ‘bold’ measures.

Recognized as Humanitarians of the Year at a New York gala in October for their advocacy in online safety, the royal couple praised this landmark policy introduced by Labor Party leader Antony Albanese, a well-known republican.

Additionally, they issued a stern warning to tech giants such as Meta, stating, “It shouldn’t have come to this,” highlighting their discontent with the industry’s current practices.

But some everyday Australians have urged to them to ‘stay out’ of their country’s politics, after the same complaint in the US over Harry’s recent jokes about Donald Trump and the couple’s tacit support for the Democrats over the years.

Chris Snowden, head of lifestyle economics at the respected Institute of Economic Affairs in London, today also questioned the Sussexes’ intervention Down Under, especially before it is clear whether the ban actually works.

‘Social media is here to stay and Meghan, in particular, makes great use of it. It has negatives as well as positives, and society is learning how to address those, but full prohibition for millions of people is not the answer’, he said. 

Mr Snowden pointed out that Meghan Markle is a prolific social media user, harnessing Instagram to promote herself as well as her business and TV interests. 

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Harry and Meghan would be well advised to wait and see how Australia’s ban goes before praising it. It is likely that most teenagers will find a workaround and leave the rest excluded’.

One of several critics online said the couple were ‘meddling’ in foreign countries’ affairs ‘again’. 

Another wrote: ‘Nothing to do with you Meghan or Harry. Australia doesn’t want to hear anything from you’.

It was recently claimed in the US that Harry has not been ‘loving’ his wife’s recent posts on social media that show glimpses of their children. 

Harry and Meghan released a lengthy statement on Australian social media ban last night.

‘It shouldn’t have come to this,’ the couple said in a 537-word statement through their Archewell Foundation on Thursday. 

‘We celebrate Australia’s leadership for seeing and acting on how these technology companies are negatively impacting young people with little to no recourse or accountability.

‘This bold, decisive action to protect children at a critical moment in their development sends a strong signal that a child’s mind is not a commodity to be exploited.

‘It buys young people valuable time back in their childhoods, but it doesn’t fix the fundamental issue we all still face with social media platforms.’

They added: ‘Here’s the truth: the ban is an effective measure to stop imminent harm. 

‘But ultimately it only works as a band-aid that does not address tech’s broken design and exploitive business incentives.’ 

The couple acknowledged that social media does have some positives.

‘It inspires creativity, connects young people to educational resources, and helps them find their communities,’ they said.

‘For LGBTQ+ young people and those suffering mental health emergencies we’ve spoken with, it can be a genuine lifeline.

‘These platforms have immense potential for good, connection, and hope. But when there’s no option to opt out of the harms, the very lifeline they might depend on can become the very thing that kills them.’

Their comments have won praise and criticism. Many of the dissenting voices insist  royals should not comment publicly on politics.

Harry and Meghan have been accused of dabbling in US politics with rows over their political neutrality have rumbled on for years. 

Back in September 2020, soon after Harry and his wife Meghan Markle had moved to the US, the couple urged American voters to ‘reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity’ in that year’s election which was eventually won by Joe Biden .

While the Sussexes did not endorse a candidate, the wording of their video message prompted accusations that they were referring to Mr Trump and had therefore breached UK protocol keeping members of the Royal Family political neutrality.

Last year the Sussexes had again urged people to vote in the US Presidential Election. They did not endorse a candidate but their intervention was taken as a nod to Kamala by critics.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been famously private about their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 – obscuring their faces in photos published online or only sharing pictures of them from behind.

The Duchess of Sussex shared an insight into her family’s life in California , including a rare peek at Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s features at the start of November on Instagram.

While Meghan usually obscures her children’s faces by only photographing them from behind, they could be seen in a video taken on an outing to a pumpkin patch for Halloween.

Moreover, the Duchess has also shared posts on Instagram of her children running through mazes and carving jack-o’-lanterns. 

However, a source claimed that Prince Harry is not happy with Meghan’s recent ‘social media displays’. 

They told the publication Page Six: ‘He’s very aware of her parading him around. He doesn’t love the social media displays.’ 

The insider added that the Prince is also not thrilled with Meghan tying her latest As Ever products to their royal wedding.

‘The shine has worn off, which is fair at this point in a relationship,’ the source said.

A few weeks ago Meghan and Harry shared pictured of their children preparing food for the needy on Thanksgiving.

Royal fans gushed over Lilibet’s fiery red locks after her mother Meghan Markle showed them off in a video.

The four-year-old granddaughter of the King is seemingly taking after her father Prince Harry, who is also famed for his red hair.

Harry and Meghan brought both their children – Lilibet and Prince Archie, six – along to a community kitchen ahead of Thanksgiving in Los Angeles.

Meghan shared a video montage from the day at Our Big Kitchen where the royals, as part of the Archewell Foundation initiative, helped bake cookies, slice vegetables and package meals for people in Los Angeles experiencing food insecurity.

Lilibet was seen standing next to her mother in the kitchen wearing a festive red tartan dress.

Her face was kept out of the photos, which showed her long red hair – the very same shade as her father’s – braided beneath a hat.

‘How I love Lili’s hair colour!’ one person wrote on X.

‘Lilibet red hair is so beautiful,’ someone else said.

Meghan and Harry have shared rare glimpses of their children over the years – both of whom have red hair.

Through their Archewell Foundation, the couple have campaigned for improving online safety.

In 2022, they launched The Parents’ Network, bringing together families affected by social media-related suicide or online harm to their children.

The pair touched on this work in their statement.

‘We’ve heard from too many grieving parents. Too many families devastated by cyberbullying, feeds that radicalise kids toward self-harm, and algorithmic manipulation designed to maximise engagement at any cost.

‘There is too much loss of life and livelihood. Children currently have no right to privacy and no expectation of safety, and they’ve been hooked.’

The Australian government’s new rules require platforms to take ‘reasonable steps,’ such as deactivating the accounts of underage users and monthly compliance checks, but the Duke and Duchess cautioned these could create new risks too.

‘Young people know they will live their lives with these platforms whether it’s now or later in life. They are calling for technology that is safe by default and design, not as a reaction to avoidable, sometimes fatal, harm.

‘They are rightly concerned about how age restrictions will be enforced and whether it will create new opportunities for their lives to be surveilled.’

They also accused the tech platforms of failing young people.

‘We hope this ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and the tech companies that built these platforms with growth as their first principle instead of safety.

‘American innovation has been at the forefront of bringing change for good in the world – we hope for a course correction to get back to that place with these technologies involved in our every waking moment.

‘We look forward to the next step to hold tech accountable for its design choices and hope leaders of new technologies learn the lessons of failing to prioritize the well-being of young people.’

While many under-16s found ways to get around the bans and trick the algorithms designed to detect them, the government likened it to laws around underage drinking – the fact some youngsters can find a way to procure alcohol does not mean there should be no restrictions. 

Harry and Meghan were honoured with the Humanitarians of the Year Award at Project Healthy Minds’ October Gala for their digital safety and mental health work.

Later that month, Harry spoke candidly about kids and smartphones on the Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know podcast.

‘We talk about it a lot. I think that because of what we know now, we will be way more cautious and hesitant of allowing our kids to have access to social media, but the problem is, so many parents don’t have that awareness,’ Prince Harry said on the show.

‘Because in no logical, fair, ethical, moral world should a parent have to consider this app that sits on the phone – which by the way, having a phone for your kid is a really important thing – but the moment that you give them the gateway to everything else, kids will be kids.’