Prince Harry Confirms Meghan Markle Relationship, Defends Her Against Sexist, Racist Haters

Over a week after rumors of a romance broke, Kensington Palace has confirmed “Suits” actress Meghan Markle is Prince Harry's “girlfriend."

At the same time, Prince Harry has expressed concern for her safety, calling out online trolls. The statement from Kensington Palace 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 lengthy statement went on to say, "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is 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.”

The statement pointed out that Markle's loved ones and close friends have also been bombarded with questions about her relationship with the prince. "Some of it has been hidden from the public — the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers.”

Harry released the statement before “any further damage is done.” The statement added, "He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.”