Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle has reportedly been "subject to a wave of abuse and harassment," according to a statement from Kensington Palace.

Speculation has been mounting about Prince Harry's connection to the 35-year-old American actress, but this is the first time it's been officially confirmed.

In a statement through his spokesperson, Prince Harry accused the media of "sexism and racism."

"His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public - the smear on the front of national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments."

Tweet may have been deleted

The statement also states that Prince Harry "is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her."

“It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say 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 – it is her life and his. He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done."

"He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.”