No matter the actual circumstances, their relationship was officially confirmed in November of 2016 after tabloids descended on Markle, her friends, and family members, circling them like vultures desperate for any piece of information about the Suits star. Prince Harry released a statement , which the Kensington Palace Twitter account shared. In it, he expressed concern for “his girlfriend, Meghan Markle,” and her safety in light of what he called “a wave of abuse and harassment” from the media. He criticised the “racial undertones of comment pieces” along with the “outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.” His brother, William, also released a statement expressing the same concerns. The palace rarely shares information about the princes’ private lives, so it was clear this relationship was completely genuine.