THE DUKE and Duchess of Sussex say they have had “almost unsurvivable” online abuse.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared on a podcast to mark World Mental Health Day with Californian high school children.

The duchess said the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed schools around the world, has meant everyone has spent more time online.

She told podcast hosts Gael, Kayla, and Thomas: “Yes, it’s a great way to connect, but it also ends up being a place where there’s a lot of disconnection, you know, I can speak personally to.

“I’m told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female. Now, after eight months of that I wasn’t even visible, I was on maternity leave or with a baby.

“But what was able was to just be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable, that’s so big, you can’t think of what that feels like, because I don’t care if you’re 15 or 25, if people are saying things about you that aren’t true, what that does to your mental and emotional health is so damaging.”

Prince Harry added that people may hide behind usernames on virtual spaces to project or say things they would not say in person.

He continued: “I think many, many people are hurting, a lot, and are freaking out because of the way the world is and because of, sometimes, the echo chamber that has been created for them by the online platform that they’ve chosen to be on.

“But also it comes down to control as well, you can control what you see, you can control what you do, so whether it’s notifications or ringtones, these things control you, rather than taking control.”

The Duke and Duchess ended their roles working for the royal family in March.