The British Royal family’s website got a bit of a makeover. Prince Harry’s 2016 statement, which confirmed he was dating Meghan Markle, was quietly removed from the site. In the statement, he also asked the media to back off of his then-girlfriend as he feared for her safety.
Meghan and Harry first met in July 2016 through mutual friend Violet von Westenholz. Thankfully, the couple had four months of privacy before news broke of their relationship. Harry’s statement, which was released in November 2016, both confirmed he was dating Meghan and condemned the media's treatment of her.
Newsweek reports that the statement got deleted sometime between December 3 and December 10, 2023. Wayback Machine, an internet achieving service, was able to access the link on the former date but not the latter. The royal family has not publicly commented on the situation.
Harry’s statement does not hold back. "His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment,” it claims. In his memoir, Spare, Harry revealed his father King Charles and brother Prince William were not happy about Harry’s decision to defend Meghan. They had never taken similar action for their romantic partners.
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"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her," Harry’s statement continued. "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."
Ultimately, Harry revealed in Spare, this statement did not have the desired impact as the harassment continued. This is one of many reasons Harry and Meghan ultimately stopped being working members of the royal family in 2020.
There have been other changes to the royal family's website as well. In March 2024, Harry and Meghan’s profiles were combined into one. A link was added to their own website as well. Statements about the change in status were added.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
