Meghan Markle shares struggles with online abuse and claims she's 'one of the most bullied people in the world'

Meghan Markle told a group of teenagers she was "one of the most bullied people in the world" during a visit to a charity last week, as she opened up about the perils of life in the public spotlight

Meghan Markle revealed she was "one of the most bullied people in the world" during a recent meeting with a group of teenagers, according to a charity leader. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, spent an afternoon with Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara on October 2, participating in arts and crafts and assisting with their new digital-wellness programme, Social Media U.

The non-profit organisation Girls Inc, which aims to empower girls, partnered with #HalfTheStory, a project focused on improving young people's relationship with technology, to launch the programme.

Larissa May, founder of #HalfTheStory, shared with Vanity Fair that Meghan "talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world". She elaborated: "We did an activity where we talked through a bunch of different scenarios, and Meghan talked about being one of the most bullied people in the world. We had girls wave these little emoji signs and talk about how each one of these scenarios would have impacted them emotionally."

"We talked about what it really means to grow up in this digital age," Ms May added. The aim of the Social Media U curriculum is to encourage teenagers to socialise without screens, while also teaching them how to use technology for creativity and positive interaction, reports the Mirror.

The curriculum, which the Duchess had a hand in testing during her visit, is receiving financial backing from Meghan and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation, the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, and Melissa French Gates's Pvitoral Ventures. This isn't the first instance of the Duchess speaking out about her experiences with cyber-bullying.

At the SXSW festival in March this year, Meghan revealed she was targeted by "hateful" messages while pregnant with Archie and Lilibet.

She was invited to the renowned Texas festival to engage in discussions on "breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes". She touched upon her experiences with social media, stating that the most severe abuse she endured occurred while she was expecting her two young royals.

"I keep my distance from it right now for my wellbeing but the bulk of the bullying and abuse I was experiencing in social media and online was when I was pregnant with Archie and with Lili, and with a newborn, with each of them," she expressed.

"You just think about that and to wrap your head about why people would be so hateful. It's not catty it's cruel. Why you would do that when you're pregnant or as a mom it's such a tender and sacred time."

She further added: "You could succumb to it, or nearly succumb to how painful that is. Or maybe because I was pregnant that mammalian instinct just kicks in to do everything you can to protect your child and as a result protect yourself too.'".

A Royal expert has highlighted the "family dilemma" faced by Meghan and Prince Harry regarding their two children. The Duke of Sussex has previously expressed concerns about bringing his family to the UK due to security concerns, as they are not automatically entitled to police protection.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told The Sun: "There's the problem of the security which is still not solved, and Harry says he won't bring his wife and children back here until he feels that he is in a secure position. I do think that Harry and Meghan have a dilemma with their family life, because the children are getting older, and the children are probably absolutely intrigued to know what their cousins are like. They wouldn't remember them."

Seward added that an invitation from Charles Spencer might be appealing, allowing the children to meet their cousins, but it would raise questions about whether Harry would see his father or other family members. She believes the couple is currently undecided, often making last-minute decisions.

The Home Office's ruling that Harry is not immediately entitled to police protection in the UK remains a significant obstacle, making it difficult for him to bring Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet to his homeland.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.