Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads. 
 
 He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it. He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about. 
 
 But the past week has seen a line crossed. 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. Some of it has been hidden from the public - the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life. 
 
 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. 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. 
 
 He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. 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. ||||| CLOSE According to Kensington Palace, Meghan Markle has been harassed and abused by paparazzi and "social media trolls" over her budding relationship with the prince. USA TODAY NETWORK 
 
 Prince Harry took the unusual step of confirming his relationship with American actress Meghan Markle in an attempt to get the press to back off her. (Photo: AP/Getty Images) 
 
 LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry has condemned the racist and sexist abuse of his girlfriend, Meghan Markle. 
 
 A statement issued by the 32-year-old prince's spokesperson Tuesday said that while Harry has rarely taken action over fictional stories and has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, “a line has been crossed” in the past week. 
 
 “His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment,” the statement said in the first official confirmation of the pair's relationship. 
 
 “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.” 
 
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 The statement said Markle’s mother has had to struggle past photographers to reach her front door, reporters and photographers have tried to illegally enter Markle’s home and papers have offered “substantial bribes” to her ex-boyfriend. 
 
 “Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her,” the statement said. 
 
 “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.” 
 
 The prince asked for the "unusual" statement to be issued in the hope that "those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done," the communique said. 
 
 Los Angeles-born actress Markle, 35, is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits. Her mother is African-American and her father is Dutch and Irish, according to media reports. 
 
 Markle has worked with the United Nations on gender equality and is a global ambassador for the humanitarian aid organization World Vision Canada. 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2fyZrLd ||||| Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads. 
 
 He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it. He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about. 
 
 But the past week has seen a line crossed. 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. Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life. 
 
 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. 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. 
 
 He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. 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.
– Prince Harry officially confirmed he's been dating American actress Meghan Markle for "a few months"—a confirmation accompanied by a warning that "a line has been crossed." In what Time calls an "unprecedented public statement" issued at the prince's behest, the royal's rep says "his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment" since news of their romance broke. Reporters and photographers have tried to break into Markle's home, Markle's ex-boyfriend has been offered "substantial bribes" by the media, and almost everyone Markle knows has been bombarded in some way, the statement reads. "Nightly legal battles" have been waged "to keep defamatory stories out of papers," but that hasn't stopped "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." (USA Today reports the 35-year-old's mother is black and her father is Dutch and Irish.) "It is not right … Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her," it continues. "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." Read the statement in full here, or more on their relationship here.