How Prince Harry's protective instincts toward Meghan Markle sparked his press war

Prince Harry's battle with the media began even before his and Meghan Markle's exit from the royal life.

Royal insiders revealed that there were warning signs of the Duke of Sussex's media paranoia in his early relationship with the now-Duchess of Sussex, according to Radar Online.

In 2017, Meghan made her public debut alongside Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto and the couple's appearance drew intense attention, placing their relationship in spotlight.

Weeks later, the son of King Charles shocked everyone by releasing a public statement condemning press coverage of Meghan. An insider said, "Looking back, there were perhaps a few comments in some columns that were unkind about Meghan's background. But overall, the vast majority of coverage – around 99 percent – was very positive and welcoming."

Referring to Meghan's appearance, sources claim, "She came across as a real breath of fresh air. I couldn't believe Harry went to the press claiming she was being mistreated, because for the most part, the consensus was that she wasn't, and he was being overly sensitive and paranoid."

Furthermore, the sources claim that Prince Harry bottled up frustration that was later emerged in his memoir Spare. "From Spare and everything that's happened since, it's clear Harry bottled up and released a lot of anger and frustration."

"But his brother (Prince) William went through similar challenges and has managed to cope. It's clearly had a big impact on Harry, but the royals wish he didn't place the blame on everyone else in every instance of his life," the source said of the Duke of Sussex's elder brother Prince William.