The deeply upsetting reason people are mad about Prince Harry’s new girlfriend, actress Meghan Markle

The verified Kensington Palace Twitter account has released a statement on behalf of Prince Harry calling out “the outright sexism and racism” his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, has faced in the press and on social media in recent days, the Associated Press reports.

“The past week has seen a line crossed,” the statement reads. “[Prince Harry‘s] 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 page of a national newspaper, the racial undertones of comment pieces and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”

“Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her,” the statement continues. “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.”

Read the full statement, which also condemns recent press invasions of the Suits star’s family’s privacy, below.