'He was pitch perfect': Prince William wins support from Monica Lewinsky for his campaign to end cyberbullying

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Prince William has found an unlikely ally in his efforts to take a stand against cyberbullying in Monica Lewinsky. 

The Duke of Cambridge, 34, last week urged firms such as apple to take a stand against abusive behaviour online, saying: 'Bullying is bullying, wherever it happens.'

And Monica, 42, who has restyled herself as an activist has praised the Duke of Cambridge's stance, describing his speech to the London 2016 Founders Forum, a conference for digital entrepreneurs as 'pitch perfect'. 

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Prince William has found an unlikely ally in his campaign to end online harassment in Monica Lewinsky, who has found a new voice as an anti-bullying activist 

The campaigner, who previously described herself as 'patient zero' for online harassment after her affair with former US President Bill Clinton emerged said she was heartened to shee the Prince has 'boldly stepped into the fray of the digital minefield'.

In an article for Vanity Fair, she described how through social media 'reputations, and sometimes life itself, can explode, leaving its victims permanently scarred and wounded'. 

In April, the Duke of Cambridge announced an ambitious plan to bring together an industry-wide taskforce to tackle cyberbullying and support young people and their families affected by it.

William has asked Brent Hoberman, who founded Lastminute.com with Martha Lane Fox in 1998, to chair the Royal Foundation Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying, which will be supported by The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Monica Lewisky is now an anti-bullying campaigner and is impressed by Prince William's efforts to persuade tech companies to crack down on online abuse 

Over the coming year the task force will bring together industry partners and a group of advisers from the sector to develop an industry-wide response to the online bullying of young people, with a focus on 12 to 14-year-olds.

Senior executives from Google, Facebook,Twitter, Snapchat and telecommunication firms, are some of the founding members of the new body that will also support young people and their families affected by the online problem. 

And the impressive line-up impressed Ms Lewinsky who believes it will be strong enough to affect real change.  

The royal gave a speech to the Founder's Forum last week explaining how since becoming a parent he's been horrified to realise the scale of online abuse 

'It is also a nod to Prince William's stature and unique position of global influence that he is able to bring this caliber of digital thought leaders around the table to work towards a solution,' she said.

But she warned that there are no quick fix solutions to the worldwide issue of online abuse.  

'And, so, the plea in Prince William's speech last week was pitch perfect,' she added. 'The prince's mention of his children is also a humanising reminder: bullying is bullying, whomever it happens to.' 

Speaking at last week's founders forum William admitted his fears for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. 

Monica Lewinsky was hounded by 'virtual stone throwers' after the story of her affair with former President Bill Clinton emerged

He explained: 'The particular issue that I ask for your help to tackle is bullying. From a young age, I have detested bullying in all its forms.

'As Catherine and I started our family, I was alarmed about the increasing reports of online bullying making headlines around the world. 

'From the girls developing eating disorders after being subjected to a campaign of abuse on social media, to the boys who took their own lives following constant targeting – as a parent myself, I was appalled.

He added: 'What we were seeing was that social media and messaging transformed bullying from something that was not only the torment of the classroom and playground, but that followed you home as well – to the one safe haven that children should have.' 

Ms Lewinsky has spoken about being 22 years old when she fell in love with Clinton, and then being two years older when the scandal broke

And the prince went on to point out: 'To school-age children today, there is no difference between their online and offline lives. Bullying is bullying – wherever it happens'.

He praised the industry's efforts to tackle online abuse and 'trolling' – but said more could be done.

And he pointed out that Apple has not yet joined his task force – although he said he was hopeful that they would at some point. 

Ms Lewinsky has worked as a fashion designer and TV presenter, but more recently has restyled herself as an anti-bullying campaigner.  

Last year at a TED conference, Ms Lewinsky spoke candidly of the humiliation she suffered due to a 1998 sex scandal with then US president Bill Clinton and said her reason for breaking years of silence had nothing to do with politics.

The royal has assembled a task-force of industry heavyweights from companies such as Snapchat and Facebook to tackle the problem of online harassment 

'It is time to stop tip-toeing around my past,' Lewinsky said during an on-stage talk during which, at moments, she welled with emotion.

She told of being 22 years old when she fell in love with Clinton, and then being two years older when the scandal broke.

Few hands were raised when Lewinsky asked those at the prestigious gathering who among them didn't regret something they had done at that age.

She spoke of being swept up into a political, legal, and media maelstrom unlike anything seen before. Pictures and stories centered on the scandal were hot commodities online.

'This scandal was brought to you by the digital revolution,' Lewinsky said. 'This rush to judgement enabled by technology led to mobs of virtual stone throwers. I was branded as a tramp, tart, slut, whore, bimbo, and, of course, "that woman".'

She said she was motivated to campaign against cyber-bullying by the 2010 suicide of an 18-year-old New Jersey freshman who was bullied online after being secretly filmed kissing another man.

'The landscape has become much more populated with incidents like mine, and now it is for public and private people,' Lewinsky said.

'Millions of people, often anonymously, can stab you with their words,' she said. 'And, that is a lot of pain.'