When Prince Harry stood up for Meghan Markle in front of media

Prince Harry feared Meghan Markle  will dump him if media scrutiny is not taken in control.

The Duke of Sussex called out the "wave of abuse and harassment" that was directed towards Meghan, back when the couple was dating in 2016.

Sources reveal that Harry's move came from rather a fearful side than a protective one. Harry's communications secretary Jason Knauf, condemned "the racial undertones of comment pieces" and "the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments".

A source told The Times: "It did feel like that if the palace was not able to stand up and support his girlfriend, against some of that disgusting coverage... then who in their right mind would ever consider entering into a relationship [with him] in the future?

"He was very exercised about some of that coverage.

"He definitely felt that if nothing was done to support here, then she would be, 'I'm not sure this is what I signed up for'."

Another source told the newspaper: "He was freaking out, saying, 'she's going to dump me'."

The couple eventually tied the knot in 2018 before leaving their royal duties in 2020.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry graced the stage at NAACP Image Awards earlier this year to accept the President's Award for their philanthropic work.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who reside in LA after stepping down as senior royals in 2020, shared how 'their lives were brought together for a reason.'

"I think it's safe to say that I come from a very different background from my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason. We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to combat injustice and a belief that the most often overlooked are the most important to listen to," said Harry during the acceptance speech.