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The Duke of Cambridge has made the unusual decision to issue a statement in response to tabloid speculation regarding his relationship with Prince Harry.
This month Harry confirmed his relationship with Suits actress Meghan Markle in an official statement from Kensington Palace, asking the press not to invade the star’s privacy and expressing his concerns for her safety amid intense media attention since rumours they were dating began.
Several publications have since published reports that Prince William disapproved of his brother’s statement. According to the Mail Online, a source said William “thinks Harry made a mistake in confirming the relationship and releasing such an emotional statement so soon”.
The Royal family are so often the subject of tabloid fodder they don’t respond to most articles written about them, but it seems William has taken particular issue with the latest story, he himself issuing a statement via Kensington Palace on Tuesday.
“The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him,” the statement read.
Image: Suits actress Meghan Markle (Getty)
As a source told The Telegraph: “They [the brothers] don’t issue statements like that without talking to each other, and they talked about the Meghan Markle statement extensively in advance of it being put out.
“The Duke was as alarmed as anyone about what was happening with Meghan.
“No-one wanted to have to put that statement out, including Prince Harry, and there was concern about confirming the relationship.
“But over the course of one weekend things escalated to the extent that Prince Harry felt he had to act.”
It’s an unusual step for the Royal family to respond to tabloid reports, but perhaps the internet and social media has allowed stories to spread further, faster and gain a kind of validity in the public whether true or not. Combine that with the brothers’ awareness of how damaging tabloid attention can become if left unchecked – their mother Princess Diana was killed in 1997 in a high-speed chase as paparazzi pursued the car she was being driven in – and it’s no wonder William and Harry are trying out a new privacy strategy compared to the generations that came before them.
