Prince Harry and Meghan Markle publicly revealed that they were in a relationship back in 2016.

King Charles was left ‘crushed’ over Meghan and Harry’s announcement (Image: GETTY)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have left King Charles “crushed” with a major announcement back in 2016.

The couple, who have now been married for six years, met in July 2016 but did not publicly announce that they were in a relationship until four months later.

Speculation grew over Harry’s relationship status in October 2016, with a close friend of the Duke confirming to PEOPLE that the pair had been dating for “a couple of months” around that time.

During this period, the-then Prince of Wales was gearing up for a meeting with the King of Bahrain amidst a sensitive tour in the Persian Gulf state.

Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who co-wrote ‘Finding Freedom’ in 2020 and are believed to be close to the Sussexes, said that the King’s team had spent months organising the tour, hoping it would be “covered significantly” by the media.

However, the 75-year-old was reportedly “crushed” when Harry and Meghan not only confirmed their relationship publicly but also launched a critique on the press. Charles then feared that his son’s announcement would monopolise the news cycle, thereby eclipsing his tour.

The Mirror reported that the King was given a mere 20 minutes heads-up before releasing a statement to confirm his relationship with Meghan.

Finding Freedom states: “It was a critical moment that had been in the works for months. A statement from Kensington Palace condemning the Press and, in the same breath, confirming Harry’s new girlfriend would all but eliminate coverage of Prince Charles’s tour of the Gulf.”

The authors added: “The team at Clarence House, which had spent months putting together Prince Charles’ tour in the hopes that it would be covered significantly, was crushed.”

Meghan and Harry began dating in 2016 (Image: GETTY)

It also highlights how Harry stood up to anyone who “questioned his new relationship”, with the authors noting that the Duke of Sussex often wondered if people were judging them based on race or snobbery.

Ready for an all-out battle with the media, it was alleged that Harry cut ties with a friend for “gossiping about Meghan”.

Despite this, the King is said to have “understood that the situation with Meghan had reached a tipping point”.