Prince Harry stepped out for a public event today for the first time today since confirming he is dating American actress Meghan Markle.
Harry, 32, attended a Remembrance Ceremony with Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. Philip, who served in the Royal Navy, and Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, met and honored veterans for their service.
Prince Harry to Meet With Rihanna on Upcoming Caribbean Royal Tour Prince Harry Reportedly Visits Meghan Markle in TorontoThe public event comes days after Kensington Palace issued a statement both acknowledging Harry's relationship with Markle, 35, and putting the press on notice that he won't tolerate “harassment and abuse” of Markle.
Of the coverage of Markle, Kensington Palace wrote, “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 statement came after several newspapers, websites and news organizations worldwide chimed in on the suitability of Markle, a star of the legal drama “Suits,” as a bride for Harry, the fifth-in-line to the British throne.
One British outlet penned a piece with the headline "Straight Outta Compton,” referencing Markle’s humble background and biracial upbringing. Another article, since deleted, referred to a porn website where racy scenes from Markle’s TV show could apparently be seen.
Kensington Palace’s statement caught many of the newspapers who had largely enjoyed a relatively positive relationship with Harry off guard. The statement, though, was certainly not the first time Kensington Palace has waded into privacy issues with the media.
Prince William and Princess Kate’s Courtship
Prince William, 34, spoke out when his then-girlfriend, Kate Middleton, also 34, was being stalked by paparazzi. William filed a complaint at the time with the U.K. Press Complaints Commission.
Prince George and Paparazzi
More recently, Kensington Palace issued a statement in August 2015 admonishing paparazzi photographers who had been following William and Kate's toddler son, Prince George.
Princess Kate Holiday Photos
Kensington Palace took legal action when nude photos were published of William and Kate at a private French chateau in 2012 on holiday. The palace has also sought to squash photos of the Middleton family and William in various public places, albeit on private time, which has troubled many members of the British press.
Prince Harry Nude Photos
News organizations in 2012 released leaked photos of Harry naked at a party inside his hotel room in Las Vegas.
With the advent of the internet and 24-hour social media, privacy is an issue Kensington Palace continues to struggle with. The line between public and private is complicated for a family who, due to birthright, is forced to live in the public eye.
While Kensington Palace often states it does not comment on the personal lives of royal family members, there have been exceptions. The British media, and now more so the public, are certainly questioning if Kensington Palace is trying to have it both ways with Markle.
The U.K.'s Daily Mail newspaper's front-page story after Kensington Palace issued its strongly worded statement read, "Harry's an admirable chap but to claim the publicity-hungry Meghan is a hapless victim is crazy."
Markle posts prolifically on her Instagram account, including suggestive photos of spooning bananas and other cryptic photos hinting at her relationship with Harry. Tabloids have been quick to say this is a double standard if she truly wants a life out of the spotlight. Markle's relatives and friends have also been speaking to journalists, with some conducting sit-down interviews.
Perhaps Kensington Palace felt they had no choice given the coverage. However, the Middleton family was silent for nearly a decade until an engagement between William and Kate was announced.
Markle received a degree from Northwestern University, is heavily involved in charitable and women's issues, runs her own lifestyle website and recently launched an affordable fashion line. Kensington Palace noted Markle should not be subjected to vitriol and certainly not the racial slurs that have pervaded coverage since news of Markle's relationship with Harry became public.
Harry will start a two-week tour of the Caribbean next week on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the invitation of several nations celebrating their independence.
“The Queen no longer undertakes long haul flights aged 90 so the Queen asked Prince Harry to visit the Caribbean and focus on these anniversaries on her behalf,” her assistant private secretary Samantha Cohen said at a press briefing.
Harry's tour will include visits to Barbados, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda -- all countries celebrating anniversaries -- as well as St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
Among the highlights of the tour: Harry will join Rihanna at a ceremony and concert on Nov. 30 to celebrated Barbados' 50th anniversary of independence.
Harry's communications secretary, Jason Knauf, was questioned whether Kensington Palace was concerned that news of Harry's relationship with Markle would overshadow the tour.
"Not concerned at all," Knauf said. "As you can see it's a very busy, full and varied program. Prince Harry himself has been preparing hard for, so we're really looking forward to it.”