As his toxic feud with his family still rumbles on after almost five years, the past two weeks have seen a surprise upturn in popularity for Prince Harry, after the estranged royal charmed his way through recent events in New York, London and South Africa.
But fans have been quick to point out that Harry, 40, has been leading a completely ‘separate’ life from Meghan Markle, 43, as he embarks on more and more solo trips, with some raising questions as to whether all is well within their six-year marriage.
‘It won't be too long now. The phase where they start living separate lives has begun,’ said one, while another added, ‘Nothing screams marital harmony quite like a series of separate plans and back-to-back solo tours across continents.’
Now a source tells Closer, ‘Meghan and Harry are worlds apart from where they were even a year ago and have become increasingly distanced, both emotionally as well as physically.
‘Understandably, spending large chunks of time apart creates distance in any relationship and while they’ve tried hard to reconnect when they’re together, the closeness and strong connection they always had has started to fizzle the more Harry’s been away. It’s no secret they’ve been living separate lives for some time now.’
And while Harry, 40, has been jetting across the Atlantic solo, Meghan’s visit to a children’s hospital in LA last week – during which she debuted a new look in a red dress that echoed back to her Suits days prior to meeting Harry – marked her first public appearance since before Harry’s 40th birthday on 15 September, which he spent hiking with friends.
Close confidantes of the couple have insisted that Meghan, 43, who shares Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet with Harry, had been the one to organise Harry’s birthday surprise, which saw him spend the night alone, but their assurances that it is 'normal' for couples to spend time apart have done nothing to dampen reports of an impending split.
Last month, reports suggested that the pair have been ‘drifting apart’ for months, with sources saying that Meghan had been spending time away from their Montecito home, while Harry had been spotted ‘moping around’ at a local café.
The couple are also said to be at loggerheads over their Christmas plans, with Harry reportedly wanting to spend the festive break in the UK after receiving an invitation from his uncle, Charles Spencer, while Meghan is said to be refusing to step foot on UK soil.
The source adds, ‘Meghan’s pals have assured her that they’re approaching the ‘seven-year itch’ and have put it down to being at that time when all marriages go through a rocky phase.
‘They’ve endured more stress and upheaval than many marriages endure in a lifetime, and while Meghan knows how well they’ve done to weather so many storms in just six years, it’s understandably left her feeling panicked and anxious about their future.’
The couple’s recent solo trips come after months of uncertainty about their Sussex brand following a huge drop in their popularity both in the UK and Stateside, caused largely by their scathing attacks on the Royal Family.
And while Meghan faces pressure to build her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, after her Netflix cookery show was hit with delays over copyright issues, Harry is also battling another potential backlash as his explosive 2023 memoir, Spare, hits bookshelves in paperback later this month.
‘They’ve both dealt with a huge amount of pressure on top of personal trauma and family drama, which hasn’t made the situation any easier,’ the source says.
‘The last few months in particular have been extremely stressful and, naturally, that stress has had a knock-on effect on their marriage which is causing their relationship to struggle.’
Following their departure from life as working royals in 2020, the explosive ‘truth bombs’ and damaging accusations they levelled at the royals throughout their Oprah interview, Netflix documentary and Harry’s tell-all gained them a legion of Hollywood pals, including the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz.
But with the royals experiencing one of their worst years yet, with both King Charles and Kate Middleton being diagnosed with cancer, the tide of public opinion has turned against the Sussexes – ultimately leading the A-list to keep their distance, too.
And now, with Harry spending increasing amounts of time back in the UK, the source says he is feeling increasingly torn over his rift with his family and the life he has left behind and the new home he and Meghan have carved out with their children in Montecito.
The source says, ‘Harry’s far more distant and subdued, which he’s blamed on his family woes, but it’s clear to many that he’s battling with a lot of confusion and unrest as he struggles to settle in California, which he’s taking out on Meghan, even subconsciously.
‘They didn’t expect married life to always be rainbows, but it’s clear that if things continue like this, there could be a struggle.’