The Royal Family has recently and curiously deleted a statement made by Prince Harry's former Communications Secretary, which was released over seven years ago.
The timing of this deletion is notably odd. According to Sky News, the Royal Family appears to have removed a statement made by Prince Harry that defended his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle from a wave of abuse and harassment by the press and internet trolls.
This statement, issued by Jason Knauf, the former Kensington Palace Communications Secretary, came just days after Harry went public about his relationship with Markle. The statement, dated November 8, 2016, no longer has a working link. Archived data shows that the announcement was deleted between December 3 and December 10, 2023.
In his memoir Spare, Harry claimed that the statement angered King Charles and Prince William, who were concerned that they had not defended their wives in a similar fashion. The statement asserted that a line had been crossed with Markle becoming the victim of a wave of abuse and harassment. It noted that some of the abuse had been hidden from the public and did not identify the trolls, claiming victimhood from unnamed antagonists.
The now-deleted statement was issued after the Daily Mail published an article titled "Harry's girl is almost Straight Out of Compton: Gang-scarred home of her mother revealed - so will he be dropping by for tea?" The statement also mentioned that Harry was worried about Markle's safety and deeply disappointed that he had not been able to prevent media coverage of his girlfriend, echoing his ongoing concerns about their safety and privacy being ignored.
The removal of the statement has allegedly angered Harry, who now wants to address this with King Charles. Harry and Meghan are also reportedly unhappy with Meghan's biography and the pictures chosen for the Royal website. Additionally, the Royal website includes a link to Harry and Meghan's personal site, giving them free publicity.
According to a well-placed source, Harry wants to discuss this removal with the King. Legal experts suggest that the removal was likely to avoid entanglement in Harry's ongoing legal cases against the British media. While this rationale makes sense to many, it does not sit well with Harry and Meghan. In the world of Harry and Meghan, discontent seems ever-present; it is hard to recall a time when they appeared truly happy. They often seem ready for a fight, especially now with ongoing tensions between Harry and King Charles III.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are notably upset with their portrayal in the British media, particularly Harry, who continues to pursue legal battles against the media but cannot draw on support from figures like News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch. For events that happened years ago, one might think Harry would prefer to move on by now, but that does not seem to be the case. Harry subtly swiped at King Charles, explaining why they would not meet during his recent UK visit.
According to Royal commentator Esther Kerr, Harry's spokesperson cited the King's full schedule during his brief London trip for the Invictus Games anniversary. Speaking on Sky News Australia's Royal Report, Kerr claimed the King offered Harry a stay at a rural residence with some security, which Harry refused, preferring hotels for better anonymity and protection. Kerr suggested that this was to make a point about his ongoing battle for armed security, which has been consistently denied by UK authorities. Harry's reliance on private security remains a significant issue for him.
