Royal Family Website Deletes Prince Harry's 2016 Confirmation of Meghan Markle Relationship

The royal family seems to be subtly throwing shade at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Newsweek was the first to report last week that a statement from 2016, where Harry confirmed his relationship with Meghan, has been taken down from the royal family's website - Royal.uk. Back then, Harry, who is now 39 years old, made waves by releasing a significant statement through Jason Knauf, the communications secretary at Kensington Palace.

Newsweek reported that the archive website Wayback Machine had a functioning version of the webpage on December 3 of last year. It was observed that by December 10, Harry's message had been removed from the site.

We have contacted the royal family for their input on the matter.

The Duke of Sussex condemned the “wave of abuse and harassment” directed toward Meghan at the time.

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The statement directly addressed the sexism and racism that Meghan Markle has faced on social media. Prince Harry expressed concern for her safety and disappointment that he has not been able to protect her.

In June of 2016, Harry and Meghan began their relationship, which was confirmed in October of the same year. They started off as friends but soon their friendship turned into a romantic relationship. By November 2017, Harry proposed to Meghan and they tied the knot in May 2018.

After their wedding, rumors started circulating about conflicts between the couple and the royal family. In early 2020, Harry and Meghan made the decision to step back from their roles as senior royals, officially separating from the family.

Harry openly discussed his strained relationship with his family throughout the years. In his memoir Spare, he shared his thoughts on his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.

During his CBS interview in March 2021, Harry revealed, "I didn't realize I was trapped. Like the rest of the family, my father and brother are also trapped within the system. They don't have the freedom to leave, and I empathize with their situation."

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KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images

Harry's relationship with the royal family is becoming more strained. In March, royal enthusiasts noticed that the Duke and Duchess's bios on the royal family website had been merged. Previously, Harry and Meghan each had their own detailed bio pages on the site.

The top of their combined webpage now includes a statement: "As announced in January 2020, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped back as working members of The Royal Family." The couple got married in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on 19 May 2018, and they have two children: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

Editor's P/S:

The royal family's removal of Prince Harry's 2016 statement confirming his relationship with Meghan Markle from their website is a symbolic gesture that