Meghan Markle: 'We've forgotten our humanity' on social media

Meghan said she found it "disturbing" that women were "spewing" hatred at each other online, adding: "I cannot make sense of that."

"If you're reading something terrible about a woman, why are you sharing it with your friends?" she asked.

"If it was your friend, or your mum or your daughter, you wouldn't do it.

"I think that is the piece that is so lost right now (with) what is happening in the digital space and in certain sections of the media - we have forgotten about our humanity and that has got to change."

At fellow panellist Katie Couric's urging, Meghan also re-shared how a letter she sent aged 11 to consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble led to a sexist advert promoting dishwashing liquid being changed.

Meghan said that experience showed her the power of speaking up and advocacy. "Your voice is not small, it just needs to be heard," she told a live audience.

Actress Brooke Shields, also on the panel. joked: "This is one of the ways we're different, when I was 11 I was playing a prostitute," referring to her background as a child actor and role in 1978 film Pretty Baby.

The SXSW keynote panel event was also simultaneously streamed on YouTube, with most of the comments about Meghan being overwhelmingly positive.

The Duke of Sussex and Meghan have come under heavy criticism, particularly in the UK tabloid press, after they stepped back from the Royal Family.

Scrutiny of the couple intensified following a revealing interview on Oprah and a Netflix documentary.

The couple's public appearances have been less frequent since they moved to California and set up the Archewell Foundation. Meghan was last in England in September 2022.