A statement by Prince Harry criticizing the UK press for its treatment of Meghan Markle has been removed from the royal family’s official website.
The dressing-down, which Harry once claimed had incensed his estranged father and brother, was issued in November 2016, days after the Duke of Sussex’s relationship with Markle became public.
For more than seven years, the strongly worded missive remained on royal.uk, where the monarchy shares press releases and official announcements.
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However, the link is now broken, as Newsweek first reported Friday, estimating that it was quietly taken down sometime in early December 2023.
The statement came days after the Daily Mail published a headline that read, “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 story, Harry’s communications secretary spoke out to slam the press coverage of the prince’s then-girlfriend, who is biracial and from Los Angeles. It also served as the first time Harry had publicly confirmed 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 message went on to explain that Harry was “worried” about Markle’s safety 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,” it continued.
“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.”
The release of the statement was a daring move for Harry.
Until then, the royal family had stuck by the adage, “Never complain, never explain” when it came to the media.
Harry, 39, wrote in his 2023 memoir, “Spare,” that the move had infuriated his dad, King Charles, and brother, Prince William, because it highlighted the duo’s deficiencies in defending their respective spouses, Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton.
“My statement generated a whole new onslaught — from my family,” he recalled 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 is not the first time the palace has tinkered with Harry on its website. Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s separate profiles were combined to a slimmed-down joint biography.
The couple, who got married in May 2018, resigned from their senior royal duties in January 2020.
Buckingham Palace did not reply for comment.
