She recently gushed over her relationship with her husband, calling him a ‘fox’ and claiming that seven years after their wedding, they are only now in their ‘honeymoon period’. But a source tells heat that behind the adoration, the reality is that Meghan Markle is looking towards a lonely summer without Prince Harry.
Meghan, 43, and Harry, 40, have battled reports of them living ‘separate lives’ for some time now – which was very much highlighted when the Duke of Sussex travelled to war-torn Ukraine while Meghan attended a Broadway show in New York City last month. Their interests and passions appear to have diverged in recent months, with Harry spending increasing amounts of time away from their home in Montecito while he pursues his charity work across the globe. Meanwhile, Meghan has thrown herself back into the bright lights of Hollywood following the launch of her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, lifestyle brand As Ever, and podcast Confessions Of A Female Founder.
And a source tells heat the growing distance between the couple has ‘raised eyebrows’ among those close to them. ‘Harry’s been riding tanks in Ukraine, doing his own thing, and looking to branch out – socially, professionally, everything,’ we’re told. ‘Of course, they downplay it all and say they’re just working in separate lanes, toward the same goals. But people are noticing – he’s away a lot more than anyone realised and it’s raising a lot of eyebrows.’
Last month, Harry also flew 5,000 miles to the UK to appear at the London High Court amid his appeal for taxpayer-funded security in the UK – despite not needing to be present. Royal biographer Angela Levin described his choice as ‘grandstanding against Meghan’ and argued that Harry was ‘fed up’ with having to ‘walk behind Meghan or shut up’. And while Harry recently publicly supported his wife – with whom he shares son Archie, six, and daughter Lilibet, three – at the Time 100 summit in New York, we’re told he was unhappy with feeling like a spare part.
‘Meghan was the one who insisted on Harry being by her side in New York, and he didn't argue. But the way it all went down, with him essentially following her around the whole time, was just more reason for him to want to do his own thing,’ our insider explains. ‘When she’s doing her thing, he often feels like a third wheel because she’s just so focused. People are calling him henpecked and it’s really starting to bother him. It’s no wonder he’s doing more and more solo trips.
‘It’s no secret he has always wanted a much more private life. This push to become public figures who are constantly feeding the publicity machine has got to be very draining because that’s never been his style. He’s much more guarded. But that doesn’t align with Meghan’s vision for a huge brand, so it’s just not an option. She’s a perfectionist, so of course she wants to control the image they are putting forward and the pressure of the show has only made her more controlling. It’s no wonder Harry’s feeling stifled.’
And our source says Harry’s need for independence is one of the driving factors behind his own personal rebrand, which could see him spending further time in Europe this summer. ‘Harry seems determined not to be viewed as this character who’s constantly riding Meghan’s coattails,’ we’re told. ‘He’s enjoying more space away from her, and it’s becoming a very established pattern for them to do their own thing. He misses Europe and intends to spend more time there in the coming months, even if Meghan can’t or won’t join him. It’s looking like they could spend a big chunk of the summer by themselves and possibly on separate continents, which will be a huge test on their marriage.’
This year marks five years since Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal working life – fleeing the UK to begin a new life stateside following what has since become their well-documented fallout with the royal family. At the time, the pair were inseparable, with their grievances against the royals, first laid bare in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, landing them Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and Harry’s memoir, Spare. However, with the monarchy enduring one of their toughest periods to date following the death of the late Queen, and the cancer diagnoses of both King Charles and Kate Middleton – who is now in remission – the tide of sympathy quickly turned against the Sussexes both in the UK and the US.
Meanwhile, there have been several reports that Harry has become increasingly disillusioned with his new A-list life. Despite living in the family’s £21.7million mansion alongside Meghan and their children, a ‘close friend’ of Harry’s revealed last year how his pal misses his old life. They said, ‘He has ended up isolated from his family and most of his old mates. Maybe he has grown into a different person, but do I think he'd really suit the Californian lifestyle? No. Now we've seen it all play out, what has that left him with? On the surface, an enviable lifestyle — but for the Harry I know, I can't imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up.’
Now, the insider says Meghan – who starred in US legal drama Suits for six years – ‘lives and breathes’ showbiz, something that is becoming increasingly at odds with Harry’s wish to stay mostly away from the limelight. ‘Harry has done his best to embrace the Hollywood scene and he still does to a degree, but it’s by no means top of his priority list,’ our insider explains. ‘He’ll go along with it by attending the occasional event, enjoy a drink at a private members club in Hollywood, and make nice with the celebrity friends who pop over to visit from time to time. But fitting into that scene has been an increasing challenge, whereas Meghan’s like a kid in a candy store when she’s around the big names.’
Meanwhile, an increasing number of reports have suggested that Harry is ‘desperate’ to make amends with his family – another stark U-turn from just a couple of years ago when he released his scathing memoir. The source says that Harry is keen to make amends with his family – a hope that, as we’ve reported, has been fuelled by Kate Middleton’s wish to put the past behind them.
‘The biggest elephant in the room remains Harry’s homesickness, as well as the angst he feels about the situation with his family,’ our source shares. ‘Now that Meghan is so busy with her own brand, the word is that Harry’s got plans to head back to the UK soon, as well as more time in Europe coming up. But that has, of course, raised questions about how they are going to nurture their marriage. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. There has definitely been a big shift in their relationship and it’s definitely the toughest period they’ve faced to date, but the newlywed stage was bound to run out of steam eventually, and now they face a different challenge together.’