Prince Harry's wife Meghan makes first public appearance since father's arrest

BRUSSELS (AP) — Prince Harry urged tech companies to be more transparent about issues involving children as he and his wife, the former Meghan Markle, made their first public appearance on Tuesday since her father’s arrest on suspicion of possessing images of child abuse.

Harry spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels during the opening of a memorial to children who have died as the result of harm suffered on social media. The Lost Screen Memorial features replicas of oversized smartphones with the photo of a deceased child on each home screen.

Meghan, also known as the Duchess of Sussex, was originally scheduled to speak alongside Harry but withdrew because she was not “strong enough emotionally,” a person familiar with her reasoning said. She still accompanied her husband to the event.

The allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. surfaced last month. He appeared in a Florida courtroom on Friday charged with possessing child sexual abuse material. The 82-year-old has previously strongly denied the allegations, labelling them as “sick lies.”

Harry appeared emotional during his speech as he urged social media companies to avoid showing children content they would not show their own children. He also called on the companies to be more transparent and helpful to parents, particularly those seeking access to their children’s devices and social media accounts to understand what happened to them online.

“For many parents, even though their child killed themselves, they’ve had to wait years – in some instances, eight years – to get access to their child’s phone,” Harry said. “Because of the company’s privacy policies, the parents were blocked from finding out how their child died. That cannot be right.”

Britain's Prince Harry and Emilio Puccio, Secretary General of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights, participate in a panel discussion, 'Beyond Promises, Building a Digital Future that Works for Children' at the European Parliament in in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stands with Sandra Spitaels, right, whose teenage son Glenn committed suicide in 2017, as they attend an exhibition at the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial" at the European Parliament in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial" at the European Parliament in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends an exhibition at the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial" at the European Parliament in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, comforts Sandra Spitaels, right, as they attend an exhibition at the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial" at the European Parliament in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat/Pool Photo via AP)

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Thick fog on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria caused two major crashes that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens on Tuesday, a government minister said.

Dense fog on the motorway linking the capital Sofia with the Black Sea port of Burgas led to two pileups. The accidents forced the closure of the road in both directions, Health Minister Katya Ivkova said.

Ivkova said 10 people died at the scene and two others died while being transported to the hospital. She said 46 other people were transported to medical facilities for treatment.

Some 86 vehicles, many of them heavy trucks, were involved in the crashes, which occurred on opposite carriageways in the same place at 7 a.m.

Regional governor Mihail Kasherov told reporters at the site of the mass crash that the scene defied description and he had never seen anything like it.

Police launched an investigation but said initial assessments point to “reduced visibility due to fast-forming dense fog, wet road surface and speeds unsuitable for the conditions.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was on a working visit in Bulgaria on Tuesday, had to change her schedule after her host, Prime Minister Rumen Radev, left her to head to the scene of the accident.

President Iliana Yotova is also cutting short her participation in the Paris Peace Forum and is returning to Bulgaria, her press office announced.

A vehicle crash caused by dense fog on a motorway near Yambol, Bulgaria, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Bulgarian News Agency via AP)

A vehicle crash caused by dense fog on a motorway near Yambol, Bulgaria, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Bulgarian News Agency via AP)