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In one move, Prince Harry has both confirmed his relationship with actress Meghan Markle, and defended her against harassment she and her family have been facing since it was revealed the pair were dating.
Just last week the news started swirling that, for a few months Prince Harry and Markle, who is best known for her role as Rachel Zane on the hit series Suits, had been dating after meeting at the Invictus Games in the summer in Toronto.
The harassment the actress has faced since has been so bad that the Prince has had to issue a statement through Kensington Palace pleading with the media and internet users to leave her alone. The statement that was released on social media from Prince Harry’s Communication Secretary begins: “Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads.”
It continues, “He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it. He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about.”
“But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public — the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments. Some of it has been hidden from the public — the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.”
The statement concludes: “Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game.’ He strongly disagrees. This is not a game — it is her life and his. He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.”
According to sources, Harry has issued this rare statement about his personal life because of how serious his relationship with Markle is and has reportedly already introduced her to his family including his father Prince Charles.