Britain’s Prince Harry on Tuesday complained of a “wave of abuse and harassment” against his American girlfriend, 35-year-old actress Meghan Markle, giving his first official confirmation of their relationship.

Prince Harry’s office said he was concerned about coverage including “the smear on the front page of a [British] national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”

Prince Harry

The 32-year-old prince is “worried about Ms Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her,” an official statement said.

“It is not right that, a few months into a relationship with him, Ms Markle should be subjected to such a storm,” the statement said.

Markle describes herself as mixed race, and has written online about racism experienced by her African-American mother.

Prince Harry has previously complained of “incessant” intrusions into his private life and appealed for more privacy.