A statement from Prince Harry condemning the UK press for its treatment of Meghan Markle has been taken down from the royal family’s official website.
The statement, which Harry previously claimed had angered his estranged father and brother, was originally released in November 2016, shortly after his relationship with Markle became public knowledge.
For over seven years, the strongly-worded announcement had been available on royal.uk, the platform where the monarchy publishes official updates and press releases.
Kensington Palace has issued a statement this morning about the harassment currently being experienced by Meghan Markle and her family. pic.twitter.com/EuFZ4fmUIj
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 8, 2016
The link has since been removed, with Newsweek reporting on Friday that it was likely taken down quietly in early December 2023.
This development occurred shortly after the Daily Mail ran a headline stating, “Harry’s girl is (almost) straight outta Compton: Gang-scarred home of her mother revealed — so will he be dropping by for tea?”
In response to the article, Prince Harry’s communications secretary condemned the media’s portrayal of Meghan Markle, who is biracial and hails from Los Angeles. The statement also marked the first time Harry publicly acknowledged his relationship with Markle.
“The past week has seen a line crossed,” the statement read. “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.”
The statement further revealed that Harry was feeling “worried” about Markle’s well-being and “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,” the statement read.
“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.”
Harry’s decision to release the statement was considered a bold move.
Up until that point, the royal family had adhered to the saying, “Never complain, never explain” when dealing with the media.
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry, 39, revealed that the decision had angered his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William, as it drew attention to their lack of action in defending their own spouses, Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton.
“My statement generated a whole new onslaught — from my family,” he wrote in the book. “Pa and Willy were furious. They gave me an earful. My statement made them look bad, they both said. ‘Why in hell?’ Because they’d never put out a statement for their girlfriends or wives when they were being harassed.”
This isn’t the first instance of the palace making changes related to Harry on its website. Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their individual profiles merged into a more concise joint biography.
The pair, who tied the knot in May 2018, stepped down from their roles as senior royals in January 2020.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
