Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Windsor, England in September 2022.Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
On Tuesday, the Met Police announced that six former officers, who retired between 2011 and 2015, have been charged under the Communications Act 2003. The inappropriate messages were allegedly sent in a closed WhatsApp group from August 2018 to September 2022, a policestatementsaid.
“Some of the posts referenced the government’s Rwanda policy, while others joked about recent flooding in Pakistan, which left almost 1,700 people dead. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also featured in several images alongside racist language,” theBBCsaid.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s friend and photographer Misan Harriman reacted to the news on hisInstagram page, captioning a screenshot of a headline on the story, “Sigh…..SMH.”
According to authorities, the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards launched an investigation after BBC’s Newsnight show brought the allegations to light in October 2022. The six men charged were not serving in the police force while participating in the WhatsApp chat.
Now, those charged — Peter Booth, Robert Lewis, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, Michael Chadwell and Trevor Lewton — are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 7.
General view of the sign outside New Scotland Yard, the Met Police HQ, in London.Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
Offering comment in the Met Police statement, Commander James Harman, head of the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said he was pleased to see charges served.
In a witness statementissued amid his lawsuitagainst Associated Newspapers Ltd (publisher of theDaily MailandMail on Sunday) for alleged illegal information gathering, Prince Harry, 38, said that he was made to adopt his family’s policy to “never complain, never explain” when dealing with the media but could no longer sit back when Meghan, 42, was the target of racist press.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at a Platinum Jubilee event in June 2022.Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty
Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an event in 2019.Karwai Tang/WireImage
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
The couple stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and Prince Harryspoke to PEOPLEabout his personal growth as his memoirSparehits bookshelves in January. King Charles’ son reflected on how his eyes were opened to racism in the media, royal institution and world at large after his relationship with his wife, who is biracial, began six years ago.
“My relationship with Meghan has opened my eyes to so much I fear I otherwise would have never fully understood. When we recognize bias within ourselves or others — we have a choice. Be part of the problem through inaction or part of the solution through change,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE.
“We live in a world with systemic racism, and none of us are immune from the effects of that. I am someone who has long benefited from my place in society,” he added. “I understand that much better today than I once did. I had so much to learn and, equally, unlearn. It’s not a simple process, but it’s a fulfilling one. I’m a better husband, father and human because of it. I feel more grounded and connected.”
source: people.com
