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 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks about social media's impact on children's mental health at the Clinton Global Initiative © Getty

Prince Harry reveals which family members feature on his phone lock screen

The Duke of Sussex delivered a passionate speech in New York

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
September 24, 2024
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Like so many of us, the Duke of Sussex has a personal photograph on his phone lock screen. 

And while onstage at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, Prince Harry, 40, shared which family members feature as he delivered a passionate speech about how imperative it is to tackle the challenges caused by the online world.

The father-of-two, who resides in Montecito with wife, Meghan, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was a star guest at the end of a 90-minute session entitled Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Taking out his phone from his inside jacket pocket, Harry said: "My lock screen is a picture of my kids. What's yours?" Watch below...

WATCH: Prince Harry reveals who's on his phone lock screen

Photos of young people shown as images on mobile phone lock screens appeared on the large screen behind him.

The Duke said: "These children and thousands more meant the world to their families. Their beautiful faces you see before you, their smiles, their dreams, all lost, all too soon, and all because of social media."

Prince Harry speaking on stage in New York© Getty
Harry pulled out his personal phone

Harry added they were the inspiration for why his Archewell Foundation launched the Parents Network, a support network for parents of children affected by online harm.

Prior to that, he said: "I stand before you today to speak about the pervasive threat that our online world poses to us, especially our children.

"If we allow the status quo to remain in an age where our lives are intertwined with technology, we cannot afford to only see the online world as a space for profitability, competition, and rapid growth instead."

Prince Harry on stage in front of images of phone lockscreens© Getty
Harry stood in front of the powerful background of parents' lock screen pictures

He continued: "Young people today are disproportionately affected by negative experiences online and mental health issues stemming from their digital interactions. They know it. The statistics prove it.

"They're navigating an environment that is often hostile and overwhelming. Reports of anxiety, depression and social isolation linked to these platforms have surged in recent years, creating a crisis that ct be ignored.

"These challenges are compounded by the relentless spread of unreliable and unfounded information, leaving many feeling isolated, confused and scared. These are not distant problems, they're epidemics currently testing our resolve and they cannot be ignored."

In a seeming nod to his antics in his younger days which prompted laughter in the audience, Harry said: "Some say kids will be kids and well, that may well be true. Kids may get into trouble. I know a thing or two about that. But our kids are being targeted. The harmful effects of social media are made by design."

Prince Harry made reference to Princess Diana at a HALO Trust event in NYC © HELLO!
Prince Harry made reference to Princess Diana at a HALO Trust event in NYC

The Duke, who has made a solo visit to New York to carry out engagements with charities close to his heart, also appeared at an event with The Halo Trust on Monday, which works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts.

Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, worked closely with them before her death in 1997, famously walking through an active landmine in Huambo, Angola, in a bid for an international ban. 

WATCH: Prince Harry talks about Princess Diana at the HALO Trust event in NYC

He said: "Much has changed in my life and the world since 2019 when I first visited. In those five years, I've become a father for the second time. And while you don't need children to have a stake in the future of our planet, I do know that my mother would have been horrified that anyone's children or grandchildren would live in a world still infested with mines."

LISTEN: Why the Princess of Wales decided to release incredible family video

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