How Archie and Lilibet Inspired Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Next Act (Exclusive)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are "loving life as parents of two," a friend tells PEOPLE

World Mental Health Day hit close to home for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on October 10, as they hosted their first in-person Archewell Foundation event.

The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age brought together families affected by tragic loss connected to a child’s social media use. During an emotional panel discussion, Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, opened up about how their young children — Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2 — have inspired their fight to build a safer online world.

“Being a mom is the most important thing in my entire life, outside, of course, being a wife to this one,” Meghan said on stage, gesturing to Harry. “I feel fortunate that our children are quite young, so this isn’t in our immediate future, but I also feel frightened by how it’s continuing to change and this will be in front of us.”

Related: Meghan Markle Says 'Being a Mom' Is 'Most Important Thing in My Life' at Emotional Mental Health Summit

“I think for us, with kids growing up in a digital age, the priority is to turn pain into purpose and provide as much support as well as a spotlight and a platform for parents,” Harry said.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy joined forces with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a panel on mental wellness in today's digital age, in a conversation moderated by Today show host Carson Daly.

“I didn’t know whether to curtsy or hug, like, what’s the royal rules?” Daly said the next morning on Today, explaining, “Meghan said, ‘Bring it in [with a] big hug.' "

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept a low profile during their trip — a stark contrast to their last visit to N.Y.C. in May, in which their description of a “near catastrophic” paparazzi chase was refuted by some eyewitnesses following the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards. (No charges were filed.)

Related: Meghan Markle's Archewell Summit Style: Did Her Necklace Nod to Prince Archie?

Back home in Montecito, California, the couple are “loving life as parents of two,” a friend tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.

“Meghan is the best mom, and Harry is always on the floor playing with the kids. They are still such a team,” the friend says.

While in New York, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also made a surprise visit to The Marcy Lab School in Brooklyn to meet students ahead of the summit. The alternative to a traditional college, in which the Archewell Foundation has invested, prepares underrepresented high school graduates for top tech jobs through a yearlong, tuition-free fellowship. The couple spent the morning touring campus to learn more, and got to know the fellows.

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“They were so cool and down-to-earth,” says Reuben Ogbonna, who co-founded ​​the Marcy Lab School with fellow teacher Maya Bhattacharjee-Marcantonio in 2019.

“I just hope they know how much it meant to me, Maya, for Harry to say, ‘How big can we make this?’ Every single classroom he shared motivational words with the fellows, Meghan too," he shares. "Having them believe in what we’re doing is a dream come true.”

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