The Royal Family stirred controversy by removing a statement from Prince Harry that defended Meghan Markle, although one expert suggests it was merely an administrative task.
In November 2016, the Duke of Sussex released a statement condemning certain media outlets for their “racial undertones” in comment pieces about Meghan. This statement remained on the Royal Family website for seven years before being taken down.
While some were critical of the statement’s removal, PR expert Mayah Riaz has suggested there was no malice in the move. She told The Mirror : “This would be nothing more than a cleaning up process of the Royal website.
“They could have been implementing updated media strategies or shifting their public image narrative. By removing specific statements, it allows them to exercise greater control over the information available to the public and tailor their messaging accordingly.
“As Harry and Meghan are not working royals anymore, that statement is no longer relevant.” The PR expert added: “We don’t know for sure, but it is possible that the removal of the statement could have been related to legal considerations.
“It may have been determined that the statement was no longer relevant, accurate, or could potentially be used in legal battles or public disputes.”
The now-deleted statement came following an article in The Mail on Sunday which read: “Harry’s girl is (almost) straight outta Compton: Gang-scarred home of her mother revealed—so will he be dropping by for tea?”
It read: “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.”
