Upset with the media or intruding into the private life of his American girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle, Britain’s Prince Harry has issued a rare statement slamming the media, saying the press had subjected her to “a wave of abuse and harassment”.
British newspapers have been publishing daily stories about Markle ever since it became known at the end of October that the 35-year-old actress had been “secretly” dating the prince, 32, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth, for several months.
It should be mentioned here that both Harry and his elder brother Prince William, the second in line to the throne, have had a strained relationship with the press ever since their mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi on motorbikes.
However, the statement on Monday from his communications secretary, which officially confirmed Harry and Markle’s relationship for the first time, condemned the press in quite strong words.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
A divorcee, Meghan Markle comes from Los Angeles who stars in the legal drama Suits. Her father is white and her mother African-American.
The prince understood he enjoyed a privileged life but was worried about Markle’s safety and was “deeply disappointed” he could not protect her, the statement said.