Wire reporting: (AP, via Local 10)

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, appeared with Prince Harry at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday at an event on children's online safety, her first public outing since her father was charged in Florida^1,6.

Harry spoke at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, which the BBC described as photographs of young people whose parents link their deaths to online harm; the Associated Press, via ClickOrlando, described oversized phone-screen replicas with a child's photo on each^3,6.

Meghan had been expected to speak as well but withdrew, leaving Harry to address the event alone. Sources close to the couple told the BBC the past few weeks had been emotionally challenging⁶. ClickOrlando, carrying Associated Press reporting, said a person familiar with her reasoning described her as not strong enough emotionally, while she still accompanied her husband³.

Thomas Markle appeared in a Florida courtroom on Friday charged with possessing child sexual abuse material and is under home detention with electronic monitoring, the BBC reported; he has previously denied the allegations⁶. The AP account, via ClickOrlando, said he is 82 and has called the claims sick lies³. Meghan has been estranged from her father for years and did not have him at her 2018 wedding⁶.

When reports about the allegations surfaced last month, Meghan issued a statement saying she was deeply distressed and hoped justice would be fully served, according to the BBC⁶. Harry did not reference those allegations in Brussels, the BBC said⁶.

The memorial, supported by the couple's Archewell charity, moved to Europe after a launch in New York last year, the BBC reported⁶. After the speech, Harry joined a panel discussion on company responsibilities and families' experiences⁶.

The AP dispatch, via ClickOrlando, said Harry urged social media firms not to show children material they would not show their own children and to help parents seeking access to a child's accounts after a death³. BBC video said he told the audience he and his wife stood alongside parents who had lost children to online harm¹.