Prince Harry blasts media intrusion over new girlfriend

Prince Harry issued arare statement on Tuesday to criticize the media for intrudinginto the private life of his new girlfriend, actressMeghan Markle, saying the press had subjected herto "a wave ofabuse and harassment."

British newspapers have been running daily stories aboutMarkle since news emerged that the 35-year-old American, who is based in Toronto,wasdating the 32-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth.

This is not a game it is her life and his.- Statement from Prince Harry's office

In the unusually forthright statement issued by Harry'soffice thatconfirmed the relationship for the first time, theprince's communications secretary said they had fought nightlylegal battles to keep defamatory stories from appearing inpapers.

"He has rarely taken formal action on the very regularpublication of fictional stories that are written about him andhe has worked hard to develop a professional relationship withthe media," the statement said.

"But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend,Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse andharassment.

"Some of this has been very public the smear on the frontpage of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of commentpieces;and the outright sexism and racism of social mediatrolls and web article comments."

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One British headline dubbed Markle a "saucy divorcee," while another piece juxtaposed their ancestors,describinghers as "a tailor, a teacher and a cleaner in racially-divided Jim Crow South while his were ruling the British Empire."

Markle, whose mother is blackand whose father is white, wrote in a 2015 article in Elle magazine about beingbiracial.

"While my mixed heritage may have created a gray area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that," she wrote. "To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman."

'Subjected to such a storm'

Harry has spoken out before about his dislike of the press, and the most recent statement said that while he appreciated he lived aprivileged life, he felt he had to speak out.

"It is not right that a few months into a relationship withhim that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm," thestatement said.

"He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she hasto pay' and that 'this is all part of the game.'He stronglydisagrees. This is not a game it is her life and his."

Markleappearson the U.S. series Suitsand has a clothing line with the retail chainReitmans. She is an ambassador for Canada's World Vision clean water campaign and attended the One Young World Summit in Ottawa this September to help promote youth leadership alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Some royal watchers have suggested Marklemight have connectedwith Harry through their volunteer work, possiblywhenhe was in Toronto tolaunch the Invictus Gamesin May.

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