Meghan Markle was left in tears after Buckingham Palace issued a statement denying reports that she and Prince Harry were forced out of their royal roles by Prince William.

The moment was revisited in the couple’s 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. Prince Harry said the statement — issued under both his and William’s names — was released without his consent.

“That day, a story came out that part of the reason why Meghan and I were leaving was because William had bullied us out,” Harry said. “I couldn’t believe it. No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that. I rang M and told her, and she burst into floods of tears because within four hours they were happy to lie to protect my brother, and yet for three years they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”

The Palace Statement at the Centre of the Dispute

The statement followed Harry and Meghan’s 2020 announcement that they would step back as senior royals. A source quoted by The Times claimed the couple’s decision stemmed from William’s “bullying attitude” and being “constantly told their place.”

The short statement — attributed to “a Spokesperson for The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex” — read: