Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued an extremely important statement

Trigger warning: details of online harm and mental health issues

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are two of the most talked-about people in the world. This is particularly true when it comes to their charity work and activism, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex never failing to stand up and speak out for what they believe in. 

This was no exception this week, as the Sussex couple issued a rare statement on child safety, a cause extremely close to their hearts. 

The US Senate Judiciary Committee held a bi-partisan hearing on online child safety on Wednesday, with parents of children who have died or been affected by "online harms" in attendance. 

According to reports, many of these families have been in contact with the Archewell Foundation, with the organisation providing a "support network" for those dealing with grief or mental health conditions due to harmful online content.

Following the hearing, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released an official statement.

“We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing," read their statement, posted to The Archewell Foundation's website.

"Over the past few years, we have spent time with many of these families, listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space," it continued. "This is an issue that transcends division and party lines, as we saw today at the Senate hearing. The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms. As one of the fathers shared with us: ‘If love could have saved them, all of our children would still be here.’

"This is not the time to pass the buck of responsibility," the statement concluded. "It’s the time to make necessary change at the source to keep our children safe.”

This is extremely important.

We will continue to update this story.