For years, Meghan Markle has endured racist attacks (opens in new tab) from the British tabloids, which contributed to her and Prince Harry's decision last year to step down (opens in new tab) from senior positions in the royal family. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other members of the royal family have not publicly condemned the tabloids' treatment of Meghan since she married into the royal family. Now, however, William is prepared to condemn the racist abuse in England Soccer (soccer in the U.S.) in its entirety.

The Duke of Cambridge, president of the Football Association, issued a series of strongly worded tweets on the matter this past Sunday. Racist abuse, whether on the pitch, in the stands, or on social media, is despicable and must be stopped now. We all have a responsibility to create an environment where such abuse is not tolerated, and those who choose to spread hatred and division must be held accountable for their actions. That responsibility also extends to the platforms where much of this type of activity is currently taking place. I commend all the players, supporters, clubs, and organizations that continue to call out and condemn this abuse in the strongest terms. - W"

Many royal watchers have reacted with consternation: why didn't Princess Meghan receive such a defense?

"Hello from America. I had never heard such a strong stance against racism from the Duchess of Sussex and it caught me completely by surprise. Wow," one user wrote (opens in new tab).

Author Kristen Meinzer commented, "I wish you and your family had been so vocally anti-racist when the target of your racism was the Duchess of Sussex" (opens in new tab). British boxer Ashley Theophane added (opens in new tab), "It's a shame you didn't have the same energy when Princess Meghan was being abused." Dozens more commenters sent such messages to William. The prince and his social media team have not responded to the criticism.

Prince William supported Harry when he first published a letter in 2016 accusing his then-girlfriend Meghan of harassment.

The Palace stated on Harry's behalf: "Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle has been abused and harassed. The Palace has been subjected to a number of abuses and harassment: front-page slurs in national newspapers, racist innuendos in comment sections, and outright sexism and racism through social media trolling and comments on web articles. The nightly court battles to keep the slanderous article from appearing in the newspaper; her mother struggling to get past the photographer to get to the front door; reporters and photographers attempting to trespass in her home and subsequently calling the police; the newspaper offering large bribes to her ex-boyfriends and the bombardment of friends, colleagues, and loved ones nearly all of her life.

"Prince Harry is concerned for Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he was unable to protect her. It is not right that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm in the first few months of her relationship with him. He knows that some people will comment that this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game.'

William issued a short statement (open in new tab) in support of Harry's letter: 'The Duke of Cambridge fully understands the situation around privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him.

In Finding Freedom, royal reporters Caroline Durand and Omid Scobie report the motive behind William's statement (opens in new tab): "William was concerned about press intrusion and wanted his brother to feel supported on the issue. and wanted his brother to feel supported on the issue," the authors write. At the same time, Scobie and Duran added that William had "privately expressed concern to his aides about the speed with which Harry was developing a relationship with a Hollywood actress whom he had only just become acquainted with." "

By 2020, when Meghan and Harry made the decision to step down from their roles, a source told the author that Harry was privately frustrated that the family did not do more to stand up for Meghan, who was constantly attacked by the British tabloids.

"He [Harry] feels there were many occasions when the agency and the family could have helped them, stood up for them and backed them up, but they didn't," a source told Scobie and Durand.

In an October 2019 interview with ITV, Meghan spoke about the abuse she endured (opens in new tab) and how she felt unable to respond. (The royal family has a "never complain, never explain" policy regarding tabloids: the royal family has a "never complain, never explain" policy regarding tabloids.)

"I've been telling H (as I call him) for a long time, 'Just surviving something isn't enough. Meghan told ITV's Tom Bradby. 'That's not the point of life. That's not the point of life. You have to feel happy, and I think they tried to bring in a sense of rigidity, like the British do. And the biggest thing I know is that I never thought this was going to be easy. I don't know. ...... I just go about my day."

She added that she would feel differently if the reports were not false. If things were fair: ...... If I had done something wrong, the first thing I would say is, 'Oh my God, I'm sorry. I would never do that.' If I had done something wrong, the first thing I would say is, 'Oh my God, I'm sorry. That's not just surveillance. That's a really different beast."