For much of the past few years it’s seemed very much like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle against the world. After stepping back from their royal duties and making a home in Los Angeles, they have continued to draw criticism for their Netflix docuseries, other business deals and personal actions (including their “unwise” handling of King Charles III’s coronation). So it wouldn’t be the biggest shock to hear that the backlash has caused a little tension in their relationship. Reports have been circulating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have separated, but a royal expert has added her 2 cents based on her personal experience with the couple.
Katie Nicholl is the author of The New Royals, and she told ET that Prince Harry’s fractured relationship with his family and the fallout from the wild allegations in his memoir Spare likely have added tension to his five-year marriage to Meghan Markle. However, she said her experience with the couple showed a genuine love between the two. Nicholl mused:
My experience with Harry and Meghan -- whenever I've been with them as a couple, who are very, very close -- [have] a sort of spark between them that always struck me as being very authentic. However, there have been rumors circulating in recent months that the fallout from Spare, which is pretty epic for Prince Harry, who had Britain really turned against him, his home country; he's really not welcomed here. [The book has] left a bad taste in people's mouths. It's further alienated him from his friends and his family and I think, inevitably, that has put a strain on them.
Prince Harry took shots at multiple members of his family in Spare, recalling his father’s cruel jokes (hence the title), Prince William and Kate Middleton’s role in his wearing a Nazi costume to a party in 2005, and said he and his brother had urged their father not to marry Camilla. However, it’s also been rumored recently that Harry has been in contact with William about possibly calling a truce and returning to London.
Katie Nicholl did say it was notable that the Duke of Sussex did all of the press for his book solo, because up until then, he and Meghan Markle had done everything as partners. She continued:
And I think it was very notable that in the run-up to the launch of his autobiography, he had all the publicity and Meghan was noticeable by her absence. And that was really the first time we've seen a divide between them because up until then they've very much been a partnership, and at this crucial moment where Harry's doing the boldest and possibly bravest thing of his life, she's not there for him. And that has continued and led to more rumors of a split, of a split being on the horizon ... and yet, there is no evidence. They're presenting a very united front.
Even with Meghan Markle’s absence from Prince Harry’s press tour, the expert said there’s no evidence to suggest a split, and that was backed up by another insider, who told Page Six that the breakup rumor was “not true. It’s literally made up.”
Earlier in July, Radar Online alleged that the parents of two were “taking time apart” after being worn down by their Spotify deal falling through, public family feuds and years of backlash.
While there doesn’t appear to be much evidence to support this claim, you can bet people will continue to have their eye on the Sussexes in whatever they do next. Prince Harry, for his part, will be headed to Africa soon to film a new documentary for their ongoing partnership with Netflix. Keep your eye out for that, and in the meantime, you can get more insight into the couple’s lives and relationship by watching Harry & Meghan, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
