Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been in a relationship with Prince William for more than 10 years. The doting couple met properly at university and hit it off quickly. Despite a brief break in their relationship during their student years, the pair later married and now have three beautiful children. Their romance is one of fairytale proportions, as so-called ‘commoner Kate’ was swept off her feet by a royal prince to become one of the world’s most iconic power couples.

But it seems the early years weren’t so easy for Kate, then Middleton.

The stunning brunette endured ongoing harassment as the pair’s relationship blossomed.

And in 2007 things got so bad, Prince William was forced to issue a statement about the situation.

The remarks came after a dangerous barrage of abuse around Kate’s 25th birthday, which supposedly left her in tears.

The statement read: “Prince William is very unhappy at the paparazzi harassment of his girlfriend.

“He wants more than anything for it to stop. Miss Middleton should, like any other private individual, be able to go about her everyday business without this kind of intrusion.

“The situation is proving unbearable for all those concerned.”

The statement may seem familiar to some – and that’s because in 2016, his younger brother Prince Harry was forced to do the same about his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle.

Prince Harry is worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her

Although Harry’s statement was significantly longer than his brothers, both reflect the seriousness of how they felt about their respective partners.

And according to royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl, the decision to release such a statement is largely due to the tragic fate of their mother, Princess Diana, who died during a media pursuit in Paris.

Ms Nicole wrote: “When William called to wish Kate a happy birthday, she was closet to tears, and the prince instructed his aides to issue a statement complaining about the level of harassment Kate was experiencing.

“His message to the press was unequivocal: leave Kate alone.”

You can read Prince Harry’s statement about Meghan Markle in full below.

Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads.

He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it.

He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about.

But the past week has seen a line crossed. 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 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.

Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.

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.

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