Meghan tells fans she was bullied online ‘every day for 10 years’ and became ‘most trolled person in the world’ as Prince Harry suffers awkward selfie moment with Australian TV reporter

Meghan Markle told Australian fans today that she was “bullied” online for a decade and became the “most trolled person in the entire world”; Harry said he never wanted to be a working royal because “it killed my mother”.

The deeply personal and emotional comments came on the third day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tour of Australia.

The couple spoke to students at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology on Thursday He spoke about the dangers of social media and its impact on mental health, urging them to be ‘strong’.

“And I can really speak to that personally, so I love listening because it rings true for me in a very real way,” Meghan said.

‘I’ve been bullied and attacked every day for 10 years now. And I was the most trolled person in the whole world.’ The Duchess added: ‘I’m still here.’

Her comments came shortly after her protective husband appeared uncomfortable when Meghan was blocked when she was asked to take a selfie at an event honoring Aboriginal culture.

In the same university group discussion, Harry said Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media was ‘epic’ ‘in terms of responsibility and leadership’.

Later, speaking at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne Park, she claimed she never wanted to be a working royal, claiming her mother Princess Diana had died.

‘After my mother died just before my 13th birthday, I thought: ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role; “No matter where it goes, I don’t like it,” he said.

‘He killed my mother and I was very against it and buried my head in the sand for years.

‘I finally realized – well, wait, if someone else were in this position, how would they make the most of this platform, this talent and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?

‘And what would my mother want me to do? And that really changed my perspective.’

Meghan hugged a young mental health advocate at an event on Thursday

Prince Harry appeared annoyed as he left Melbourne’s Scar Tree Walk and was asked by a reporter who crossed Meghan’s path to take a selfie.

Prince Harry left Melbourne after giving an emotional speech at a summit of business leaders worth $997 per ticket, admitting he never wanted to be a working royal. “He killed my mother,” he said.

It was the couple’s last day in Australia’s second city before flying to Sydney, and comes as all of Meghan’s outfits from her tour continue to be uploaded to the OneOff website, which has been described as the ‘Spotify of Fashion’, where Meghan will receive a percentage of any sales.

Earlier in the day, Meghan was spotted alongside Harry at the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne, wearing a ‘Mother’ t-shirt designed by her best friend Kelly McKee Zajfen. The $40 white t-shirt with red hearts is now for sale on Meghan’s OneOff page, along with the $169 blue jeans, $599 trench coat and $298 sneakers she wore to the event honoring Australia’s indigenous culture.

Later, the dress, tights and jewelry she wore in college were immediately offered to fans who wanted her to ‘appear’ at OneOff in exchange for thousands of dollars.

Earlier in the day, Meghan’s protective husband appeared annoyed when he was cornered by a television reporter to take an awkward selfie.

The Duke of Sussex appeared to have tried to push Paul Dowsley out of his way when Meghan asked him to take a photo, but he later brushed off the incident and told a Channel 7 reporter they were “still friends”.

Speaking to a class at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology, Meghan said social media companies were ‘not encouraged to stop’.

He said: ‘And when I think about all of you and what you’ve been through, I think you have to realize that it’s largely because you know this industry, that billion-dollar industry that is completely based on cruelty and oppression to get clicks; This will not change.

‘So you must be stronger than this.’

Meghan and Harry meet Koorie Heritage Trust representatives before attending Scar Tree Walk

At the same time, Meghan’s outfit was uploaded to the OneOff page, where fans can shop her ‘look’.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, met with lawyers during her visit to Batyr.

Her outfit, which also included jewelry, was put on OneOff

Harry later backed Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media as ‘epic’.

The Duke of Sussex told the gathered young people that social media ‘leads to a lot of loneliness for a lot of people’.

The Duke, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, said: ‘Australia has taken the lead.

‘Your government was the first country in the world to impose a ban.

‘We can now sit here and debate the pros and cons of the ban; I’m not here to judge that.

‘All I will say is epic in terms of responsibility and leadership.

He added: ‘Because so many countries have now followed suit, it should never have been banned.’

Discussing the benefits of therapy with them, Harry said: ‘I literally waited until I was in the fetal position, much older, lying on the kitchen floor. Until I said, okay, maybe this is a therapy thing, maybe I should try it.’

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave Swinburne University after visit to ‘batyr’

The Duchess of Sussex chatted with young advocates during her visit to Batyr and talked about her own experiences

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex poses for a selfie photo at Melbourne’s Scar Tree Walk earlier in the day

Couple stopped to take selfies at famous Scar Tree Walk

The couple was happy to pose with the public in Melbourne

But Harry looked less happy when an Australian reporter asked for one.

The duke and duchess have long been campaigning to raise awareness about the harms of social media.

Harry said: ‘It should never have been banned. And now that the ban is in effect, what happens next?

‘Because the companies themselves have to be responsible and there is no way young people can be punished by being banned from something that is supposed to be safe to use, no matter what.’

The Duke also spoke to young people about regional differences in mental health support, telling them: ‘I’m not a city person, my mental health can’t stand living in the city; Definitely.’

Batyr is a preventative youth mental health organization that delivers peer-to-peer programs in schools, universities and workplaces and ‘uses lived experience storytelling to encourage conversations about mental health’.

It is hosting a two-day workshop in Melbourne to address the challenges faced by rural and remote young people ‘left behind by a crisis-focused mental health system’.

Batyr was founded in 2011 by Sebastian Robertson, who decided to share his experience of mental health issues in order to ‘normalise conversations and provide hope to young people going through difficult times’.

The organization, which takes its name from an elephant in a zoo in Kazakhstan that is claimed to be able to use more than 20 human expressions, is working to find a solution to the ‘mental health crisis of young people in Australia’.

Meghan Markle is now making money from fans buying her clothes after posting details of her wardrobe online following a deal with an AI-powered fashion website.

The Duchess of Sussex became a participant and investor in OneOff to promote the clothes she wore during her Australian tour.

At the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne on Tuesday, Meghan wore a $1,250 ‘Priscilla’ dress from local designer Karen Gee, $780 ‘Puffy Hearts’ earrings from Real Fine Studio and $120 ‘Iridescent’ Christian Dior leather heels.

Later at the Australian National Museum of Veterans Art there was a $1,000 St Agni suede ‘Utility Cocoon Bomber’ jacket, an $890 suede ‘Column skirt’ from the same brand; The $220 ‘Annie’ top from PJ Femme and the ‘Purist’ 105mm pointed-toe pumps from Aquazzura are available in the US but cost £479 ($904) in the UK.

OneOff, an American company based in Los Angeles, also offers photos of Meghan from previous events and at home, along with options to purchase the clothes she wore.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose for a photo during the Wound Tree Walk, honoring Aboriginal culture

The Duke of Sussex then went on to deliver the keynote address at the InterEdge Summit at Centerpiece in Melbourne Park, Victoria, on the third day of the royal tour.

Today Duke, 41, appeared to be cornered by a television reporter for an awkward selfie.

But after a short walk in Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens, Harry was ambushed by Channel 7 reporter Paul Dowsley, who was excitedly trying to take a photo.

The reporter told the Daily Mail that interactions with the Prince were entirely good-natured and the royal even complimented him on his floral tie.

‘I guess asking for a selfie with the royals is a breach of protocol but she always told me I was very well dressed,’ he said.

Meghan Markle’s guest appearance in the new season of MasterChef Australia does not make fans of the popular series happy.

Channel 10 made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday evening, sharing a photo of the Duchess of Sussex smiling proudly alongside judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin.

“We’re welcoming someone SUPER special to the MasterChef Kitchen,” the headline began.

“Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, makes a special guest appearance this season as she returns to Australia for the first time since 2018,” the statement said.

MasterChef Australia also shared footage of the moment Poh introduced Megan to this year’s cast.