Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Named in Racist Messages Allegedly Sent by Ex-Police Officers

The alleged WhatsApp chat where the messages were sent was active from 2018 to 2022

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were the subject of racist messages allegedly exchanged by former Metropolitan Police Service officers who now face charges.

On Tuesday, the Met Police announced that six former officers, who retired between 2011 and 2015, have been charged under the Communications Act 2003. The inappropriate messages were allegedly sent in a closed WhatsApp group from August 2018 to September 2022, a police statement said.

“Some of the posts referenced the government's Rwanda policy, while others joked about recent flooding in Pakistan, which left almost 1,700 people dead. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also featured in several images alongside racist language,” the BBC said.

Prince Harry and Meghan's friend and photographer Misan Harriman reacted to the news on his Instagram page, captioning a screenshot of a headline on the story, "Sigh…..SMH."

According to authorities, the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards launched an investigation after BBC’s Newsnight show brought the allegations to light in October 2022. The six men charged were not serving in the police force while participating in the WhatsApp chat.

Related: Prince Harry Blasts Palace, Says They 'Without Doubt' Withheld Information from Him on Phone Hacking

While they all previously worked for various branches, the six former officers “all spent time” in the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is now called the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. The BBC said that “Newsnight was passed dozens of messages shared within the chat by a member of the group,” but refrained from reproducing the communications.

Now, those charged — Peter Booth, Robert Lewis, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, Michael Chadwell and Trevor Lewton — are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Sept. 7.

Offering comment in the Met Police statement, Commander James Harman, head of the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said he was pleased to see charges served.

“As soon as we were made aware of these allegations we acted to launch an investigation. I am pleased that following the determined work of officers we have been able to secure these charges,” Harman said. “We are working relentlessly to rebuild the trust of the public which has understandably been dented by a number of high-profile incidents and investigations in recent years which have involved officers or former officers.

Related: Prince Harry Says 'None of Us Are Immune' to Effects of Systemic Racism: 'I Had So Much to Learn'

"The honest majority of Met officers are fully behind this work. They are tired of being let down by a minority in policing and they are aware of the damage poor behaviour can do to our relationship with the communities we serve,” he added.

In a witness statement issued amid his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Ltd (publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) for alleged illegal information gathering, Prince Harry, 38, said that he was made to adopt his family's policy to "never complain, never explain" when dealing with the media but could no longer sit back when Meghan, 42, was the target of racist press.

"Following the death of my mother in 1997 when I was 12 years old and her treatment at the hands of the press, I have always had an uneasy relationship with the press," he said, referring to his mother, Princess Diana. "However, as a member of the institution, the policy was to 'never complain, never explain.' There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it. For the most part, I accepted the interest in my performing my public functions."

However, the Duke of Sussex said that dating Meghan (who he married in May 2018) made him "increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of vicious persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan." He added that "the situation got worse" with Meghan's pregnancy and the birth of their first child, Prince Archie, in May 2019.

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The couple stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and Prince Harry spoke to PEOPLE about his personal growth as his memoir Spare hits bookshelves in January. King Charles’ son reflected on how his eyes were opened to racism in the media, royal institution and world at large after his relationship with his wife, who is biracial, began six years ago.

"My relationship with Meghan has opened my eyes to so much I fear I otherwise would have never fully understood. When we recognize bias within ourselves or others — we have a choice. Be part of the problem through inaction or part of the solution through change," Prince Harry told PEOPLE.

"We live in a world with systemic racism, and none of us are immune from the effects of that. I am someone who has long benefited from my place in society," he added. "I understand that much better today than I once did. I had so much to learn and, equally, unlearn. It's not a simple process, but it's a fulfilling one. I'm a better husband, father and human because of it. I feel more grounded and connected."

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