Prince Harry’s statement criticising the British media for the “racial undertones of comment pieces” about Meghan Markle has been taken down from the Royal Family’s official website.
The Duke of Sussex instructed the then-Kensington Palace communications secretary Jason Knauf to issue a statement against the press in November 2016, just days after Harry’s relationship with Meghan became public knowledge.
Since 2016, the lengthy statement had remained on the royal.uk website.
However, the link to access the statement has stopped working, and the internet archive site Wayback Machine last successfully recorded a functioning version of it on December 3, 2023.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry began dating in 2016
Getty
A further attempt to archive the page on December 10 was unsuccessful, suggesting it was deleted sometime between.
The statement was the first indication of Prince Harry’s desire to fight the press over its coverage of himself and Meghan.
In his book Spare, Harry admitted the statement left King Charles and Prince William “furious,” because it made them look bad for not defending their respective spouses.
Kensington Palace released the statement on November 8, 2016, attributed to “the Communications Secretary to Prince Harry”.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement in 2017
PA
It read: “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.
“Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first engagement in Nottingham in 2017
PA
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepping out in January 2018
PA
“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.”
It is not entirely clear what precipitated its removal.
GB News has reached out to Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace for comment.