Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Defended by Fans and Friends on Social Media

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Friends and fans of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are defending the royal couple on social media after their announcement about stepping back from public life rained even more criticism and attention on them. 

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A former military colleague of Prince Harry's took to Twitter on Tuesday to support the new father. "Let met tell you this because I know," posted British Army soldier Glenn Haughton. "PH is a soldier, veteran & servant who fought in Afghan in the cloth of our nation, quickly forgotten by our our fleeting & fickle  society." 

Houghton has reportedly remained friends with the 35-year-old prince since serving together overseas. He described Harry as "a selfless, loving father, brother & son that has given so much of his life to better the lives of others."

A clip of Meghan Markle being kind to a super fan of her "Suits" television series has gone viral after the March 2016 video was reposted on Twitter. "Don't forget Meghan did this, this is the kind of person she is," wrote a woman whose social media handle is Michelle.

The post has been viewed more than 7 million times and has received more than 415,000 likes. The young woman in that video, Emily Sorrels, went to TikTok with a video explaining her relationship with Markle and saying the former actress stayed in touch with a group of women who followed her on social media.

"I know her as the most genuine, passionate and caring human being who really had an impact on my life," Sorrels said. "The hate against her is garbage."

Another of Harry's fellow soldiers appeared on British televison's "The One Show," where he praised the royal for putting his new family first. "He's less the captain in the army I knew, and he's more a father," said JJ Chalmers. "That's the first thing I ask him about."

Chalmers met Harry while he was recuperating from severe injuries he suffered from an IED in Afghanistan. Harry persuaded the wounded veteran to participate in the prince's Invictus Games, which Harry founded in 2014 as a sports competition for wounded service members.

"I think the decision that he has made, at the forefront of that, is to protect his family, because that's the No. 1 rule, is to be a father and to be a husband. Any husband wants to protect their wife and any father wants to protect their children," Chalmers said. 

Harry, who attended an emergency family meeting in Britain earlier this week at the request of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, will remain in the country to host Thursday's Rugby League World Cup 2021 draws at Buckingham Palace. Meghan is in Canada, where she was seen Tuesday boarding a seaplane for Vancouver, where she visited a women's center.

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