Safety fears as ‘race hate’ letter posted to Prince and Meghan

Package containing white powder sent to couple ahead of May Royal wedding

Hannah Furness

Martin Evans

PRINCE HARRY and Meghan Markle were targeted in “a racist hate crime”, police believe, after a poison pen letter containing white powder was posted to them.

Officers are investigating the suspect package, which it was feared may have contained anthrax, after it was sent to St James’ Palace last week. The letter was opened by a member of staff before it reached the Prince and Ms Markle, with specialist officers called in to investigate. Tests confirmed that the powder was harmless. The couple have been informed about what happened.

The episode will likely leave members of the Royal household deeply concerned about security ahead of the Royal wedding on May 19, with the couple due to make several public appearances before then.

Ms Markle is understood to already have specialist police protection, ahead of marrying into the Royal family.

While she has previously been the subject of racist abuse online, this is the first known physical threat aimed at her and the Prince.

The letter and powder were addressed to the couple at St James’ Palace, arriving on Monday Feb 12.

The couple live at Kensington Palace, and made a trouble-free public appearance in Edinburgh the next day. Police are now investigating whether there is any link between the incident and a package sent to the Houses of Parliament the following day, reported to have been addressed to Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary. That also contained powder found to be harmless.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed officers are investigating “after a package containing a substance was delivered to St James’s Palace on Monday, 12 February. The substance was tested and confirmed as non-suspicious,” he said.

“Officers are also investigating an allegation of malicious communications which relates to the same package, and it is being treated as a racist hate crime. Detectives are now investigating who sent the letter, and whether it is linked to white powder posted to the Palace of Westminster in the same week.”

No arrests have yet been made. A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment.

Such messages directed at Ms Markle will be of significant personal concern to the Prince, who has previously defended his partner against a “wave of abuse and harassment”. Security has been of paramount concern in the lead-up to the Windsor Castle wedding in May, where the couple are due to take a carriage ride to allow as many well-wishers as possible to see them.

The Prince and Ms Markle, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are to carry out their first joint engagement together, taking part in an onstage discussion about their charity work. The couples will take part in the first Royal Foundation Forum on Wednesday, to shed light on projects they are working on, and their ambitions for the future.

Ms Markle will formally become the fourth patron of The Royal Foundation following her wedding.

‘We are investigating if it is linked to white powder sent to the Palace of Westminster’