Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their public first appearance together since King Charles III’s coronation on May 6, which Harry attended solo. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ventured out near their home in Montecito, California, to speak with teens in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Per a statement shared on the Archewell Foundation website on Monday, May 15, Meghan and Harry visited AHA! Santa Barbara, a local youth group, “to learn firsthand about this generation’s experiences with social media and societal pressures, and how it affects their mental well-being. The couple engaged with these amazing youth in candid conversation, working to find solutions together.”
The Duke and Duchess spoke to teens ages 14 through 18 about the positive sides of social media, including how it provides opportunities for connection and community. But they also discussed its many downsides, which include peer pressure and insecurity that can potentially lead to mental health issues.
The Archewell website includes a photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the visit. The smiling couple is sitting in a circle amongst the teens. Prince Harry wears a black long-sleeve collared tee with blue jeans with slip-on sneakers, and Meghan wears a long-sleeve black dress with her hair down in loose curls.
“These important perspectives and experiences help us understand how mental wellness intersects with the online world, and what it means to promote digital wellness in a digital age,” reads a statement published by the Archewell Foundation. Per the release, the foundation “holds a core belief that mental health is of the utmost importance, and underpins all of our work.”
