The royal family quietly deleted a statement issued by Prince Harry from their official website that called out racist media coverage. This latest move is sure to spark even more tensions between Harry and his family back home. For some context, since stepping back from royal duties last year, Harry and Meghan have faced significant criticism in some parts of the British press.

 Things escalated further after their bombshell interview with Oprah aired in March, where the couple highlighted racist undertones in certain coverage of Meghan. At the time, Buckingham Palace issued a rather tame statement expressing concerns over the issues raised.

 However, in early May, Harry posted his own strongly worded message addressing the racism his wife faced from the UK tabloids. In the statement, posted on the royal family website, Harry slammed the “invalid and dangerous stereotyping” of Meghan, criticizing some British papers for projecting racist attitudes that generate fear and division. It was Harry’s harshest public condemnation of the press to date.

Just a few weeks later, royal observers noticed something strange: Harry’s statement had mysteriously vanished from the official royal family website without any acknowledgment or explanation. Initially, experts speculated it might have been temporarily removed for website maintenance or reorganization. But when inquiries were made to Buckingham Palace, the response was telling. Palace representatives indicated the page had been archived and would not be restored.

This deliberate scrubbing of Harry’s anti-racism message did not go unnoticed. It immediately set tongues wagging about why such a bold and consequential statement from a senior royal would be erased without public acknowledgment.

 On the surface, some say it could be seen as the palace distancing themselves from Harry’s increasingly inflammatory commentary since stepping back. But looked at another way, removing the message without comment seems an intentional effort to quietly bury Harry’s public denunciation of racism within British institutions and media just weeks after he posted it.

This has led to widespread speculation that increasing tensions behind palace walls may have played a role. Upsetting figures in the British press and establishment has never gone over well with the Windsors. Could the deletion be a subtle signal from the Queen and company to rein Harry back in before he crosses more lines? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

Of course, we’ve reached out to Buckingham Palace for official comment on the curious vanishing act and why they deemed Harry’s statement unworthy of their website. Unsurprisingly, they are staying mum on the matter. That silence, though, speaks volumes about the growing rift between the monarchy and its estranged son. It’s hard to see this discreet erasing of his comments as anything other than a slap in the face to Harry as he continues his war on the toxic press now accused of perpetuating racist narratives.

The palace’s actions have infuriated Harry’s supporters, who see it as a deliberate undermining of his efforts to call attention to an important issue. Advocacy groups like MEIT have criticized the move, accusing the royals of sending a harmful message by suppressing discussion around very real concerns of racism and protection of minorities within their ranks and affiliated institutions. It also doesn’t help perceptions that many view the palace as stubbornly stuck in outdated ways of thinking when it comes to matters of diversity and representation.

Whether by misguided damage control or strategic censorship, scrubbing Harry’s statement still reads as tone-deaf given the weight of his concerns over biases within their backyard. It won’t win the family any favors as they face ongoing scrutiny around these important discussions in the global post-George Floyd era. They’re basically fanning the flames of criticism that the monarchy is utterly out of touch if they think people won’t notice a censored royal website. Not exactly the smartest PR move in current times, that’s for sure.