Thank You, Prince Harry

It is now a proven fact that for years, Meghan Markle has been the target of a coordinated hate campaign.

Earlier this year, Bot Sentinel, a nonpartisan platform designed to locate bots and trolls on social media, conducted an analysis of more than 114,000 tweets about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It found that Meghan has been the victim of a targeted campaign, the purpose of which is to harass the Duchess with vitriolic and abusive messages, disseminate misinformation about her, and amplify negative sentiments toward her.

These efforts aren't without consequence. While the perpetrators behind this campaign are bots and trolls, this kind of online harassment affects the ways that real people perceive Meghan. The inaccurate information disseminated by these accounts is believed by people who don't know how to validate sources or weed out the truth from the lies.

Furthermore, these troll accounts have fostered a mob mentality among real human beings who think that if so many people are hating on the Duchess, there must be a good reason. Seeing what they believe are millions of critics attacking Meghan makes these social media users feel more secure and justified in doing so.

Meghan has talked openly about the impact this campaign has had on her mental health. She called this online harassment "almost unsurvivable" and revealed to Oprah Winfrey that she had suicidal thoughts as a result of the negative press coverage and public disapproval she received.

It breaks my heart to watch this beautiful woman being subjected to such outrageous abuse. It physically hurts thinking about the pain she has endured and the isolation she has felt. That she contemplated ending her own life as a result of this harassment is completely unacceptable.

I don't know Meghan, but I want nothing more than to give her a big hug and tell her that everything will be alright. I want her to know that millions of people love and support her, that she is safe and wanted here in the United States. I want to squeeze her hand in reassurance and let her know that we see her for the strong, beautiful, compassionate woman she is.

I can't do that, and I'll probably never get the chance to meet the Duchess or her husband in person. Still, while I'm under no illusion that the Sussexes will ever read this message, I have something I'd like to say to Prince Harry: Thank you.

Thank you for loving her.

Thank you for protecting her.

Thank you for defending her.

Thank you for prioritizing her.

Thank you for uplifting her.

Thank you for believing her.

Thank you for reassuring her.

Thank you for supporting her.

Thank you for choosing her.

Thank you for being the loving, committed, attentive husband she deserves. Thank you for modeling loyalty and compassion to your children, who will grow up seeing how a man should treat a woman. Thank you for carrying yourself with dignity and integrity, for never stooping to the level of your critics or resorting to hate and disrespect yourself. You are an exemplar of decency and class, a demonstration of non-toxic masculinity, and an inspiration to men and boys around the world.

And, as for you, Prince Harry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that this pain has been inflicted upon you. I'm sorry that your family hasn't supported you. I'm sorry that your people have forsaken you. I'm sorry that you were forced to leave your home. I'm sorry that you continue to experience hate, harassment, and unwarranted attacks on your character. Neither you nor your wife deserve the abuse to which you have been subjected, but through it all, you have been the rock she needs.

So, Prince Harry, in the words of Bran Stark,

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