Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is shining a royal spotlight on the vexing problem of online safety for children.
The 35-year-old royal is currently preparing to unveil a national action plan to prevent cyberbullying — a project he was inspired to undertake shortly after the birth of his first child — created by The Royal Foundation’s Taskforce.
Ahead of the launch, set to officially be announced on Thursday, the beloved royal shared a special moment with cyber bullying campaigners and victims Lucy Alexander and Chloe Hine.
The emotional interaction will undoubtedly remind royal watchers of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
“It is so brave of you both to speak so honestly about it,” the prince says in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday.
“I know it can’t have been easy, but I can’t thank you enough. I only wish that neither of you had gone through what you’ve gone through.”
Lucy lost her son Felix to suicide as a result of online bullying and has since dedicated her life to raising awareness about the important issue. Chloe too became a campaigner after attempting suicide at the age of 13 as a result of online abuse.
“I think it’s worth reminding everyone about the human tragedy of what we’re talking about here,” the 35-year-old royal continues.
“It isn’t just about companies and about online stuff, it’s actually about real lives that are affected and the consequences – that’s the big thing – the consequences that will happen if things are not kept in check in terms of what we say and what we do.”
“We are still responsible for our own actions online. This anonymity is so dangerous.”
The second-in-line to the throne was clearly affected by the stories shared during the candid conversation. He concluded by asking, “Can I give you both a hug?”
Working to protect the most vulnerable of our society from the potential dangers of the Internet would undoubtedly feel even more important for the prince as he awaits the birth of his third child.
Wills and his wife, Duchess Kate, are expecting their third little prince or princess in April 2018.
The beloved couple have not yet confirmed the baby’s exact due date, however there’s a chance the new royal addition could share their birthday with their great-granny the Queen, who will celebrate her 92nd on 21 April.
Or, if the royal bub were to arrive later in the month, their grand entrance could coincide with the Duke and Duchess’s seventh wedding anniversary on 29 April.
Only time will tell!
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