How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went from being 'salt and pepper' to 'at crossroads'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their first joint public appearance together in months on Thursday and in the video they talked about prioritising children's safety online

Meghan Markle once compared her relationship with Prince Harry to "salt and pepper". The two condiments, she said, are always passed around together.

But it appears her dining table now looks a whole lot different. Her salt and pepper could well move apart - they each have different purposes and aims.

Her relationship with Prince Harry may well blossom - but it can do so without each other being together all the time. Just a sprinkle of salt here, a dash of pepper there can make, it seems, a rather delicious recipe.

For, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a string of solo appearances together recently, each successful for its own cause. The couple, who married in May 2018, are at a "crossroads" with their work, they said in a poignant video on Thursday.

Referring to their work keeping children safe online, Harry explained: "We are at a crossroads", adding: "The urgency to reassess and redefine our approach to protecting children has become increasingly evident. While the necessity has always been apparent, it’s now time to translate that awareness into meaningful action."

It is quite the change from Meghan's take in 2022 of the "salt and pepper" picture. She had told a reporter: "Salt and pepper are always passed together... You never move one without the other. That’s me and Harry. We’re like salt and pepper. We always move together".

That may have been the case but the couple have been on quite the intriguing journey in those last two years. Just weeks after the interview, the couple visited the UK for a range of charity events - again, they were together. They, naturally, comforted each other at the Queen's funeral in this emotional month too.

More recently, Harry has found himself in the centre of a row over his Visa, which allows him to live in California. He admitted to using marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms in his controversial memoir Spare - and it is feared Donald Trump may intend to boot the couple out of the country.

In Thursday's video, Meghan gazes at her husband while he talks before she explains: "My husband and I recognise that today’s reality is marked by greater connectivity and advanced technology, which, of course, has many positives. However, it also compels us to better understand how digital violence against children is manifesting itself in this age."

"At the Archewell Foundation, we engage with young people, families and experts worldwide, learning about how every aspect of a child’s life — from their livelihood to their physical and mental well-being — now operates within an online economy that has both the power to shape and misshape our connections."