Friends fear Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ‘drifting apart’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been embarking on solo ventures for some time now, raising questions if the pair are living separate lives.
The megawatt smile we have not seen for so long is back.
Prince Harry was beaming from ear to ear in photos taken on his recent trip to his beloved Africa.
But missing from the images of the Duke of Sussex with local children and long-time friends at his charity Sentebale in Lesotho is his wife, Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex has previously accompanied him to the continent, including in May this year.
But this, the most recent in a series of solo trips for Harry, has sparked fears the couple, who have been married for six years, are drifting apart, The Sun reports.
It has even prompted a source close to Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, to address the speculation.
The Sussexes’ confidante insisted: “It is normal for couples to not do everything together.”
Not so long ago, this power couple strode the world united — seemingly inseparable in their work promoting the good causes backed by their charity, Archewell.
But now Harry and Meghan are losing yet another key member of staff.
Archewell’s communications chief, Ashley Hansen, has announced she is setting up her own firm.
She will continue to be an “adviser” to the couple and manage the PR for Meghan’s new California business venture, believed to be named American Riviera Orchard, which has so far dished out 50 jars of jam.
Harry and Meghan’s enterprises will now be running side-by-side rather than jointly, although they are expected to be seen together at charitable engagements and embarking on foreign visits.
While it is understood that the Duke and Duchess’s work lives will be separated, insiders told The Sun that they are also spending more and more of their down time apart.
Harry has barely been at home in Montecito for the past three weeks. He has been seen without Meghan in New York, London and Lesotho.
In the UK capital this week, he did not see his father the King, nor did he have any contact with his brother, Prince William.
On Monday, he honoured seriously ill youngsters at the WellChild Awards in London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel. The Duke has been a patron of the charity for 16 years.
He beamed with joy as he hugged youngsters and told them in a speech that they were “little legends”.
One of those attending said: “He looked like the old Harry we knew and loved.
“He always came alive at events like this, but lately he has seemed quite glum.
“He was on good form, full of energy and seemed quite happy to be on his own.”
It has also emerged that Harry even spent the night of his birthday last month on a hiking holiday without his wife, although sources close to the couple insist it was Meghan who organised the lads’ trip.
Meanwhile, it was reported that she pulled out of a charity event run by actor Kevin Costner in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband because she was “sick”.
In fact, Meghan has not been seen since September 14 — the day before Harry turned 40. Sources claim that, for periods earlier this year, she was rarely staying at their Montecito house.
A New York Times interview with Meghan reported she was living 160km way in Santa Monica, but that was later put down to being an error and corrected.
Previous claims last year that Meghan and Harry spent extended spells apart, with him allegedly using a hotel room bolthole, were denied by those close to the couple.
And allegations that other properties in Montecito have been “leased” by them are said to be false, according to California sources.
But The Sun understands Harry did spend many days away from his mansion writing Spare, while Meghan filmed her upcoming cooking show in another house entirely.
It was said that, like any other couple, they have disagreements but remained strong.
Meghan has reportedly been frustrated with Harry’s legal cases, which are still dragging on through the courts in London.
And the couple reportedly disagreed on how to raise their children, Archie, now five, and Lilibet, three.
Harry, The Sun has been told, did not want the kids to be seen in public in case they were photographed.
But Meghan would allegedly prefer a more relaxed lifestyle, allowing them to attend more local events.
The Sussexes have travelled together on two major overseas engagements this year.
In May, they spent three days in Nigeria, which Meghan announced was her motherland, saying the country’s people were in her DNA.
They held hands often, though on occasions during the tour Harry seemed to be following Meghan’s lead.
But witnesses say that, by the time they made their semi-royal tour to Colombia in August, Harry often looked grumpy and like a “spare”, as Meghan’s relationship with the country’s vice president, Francia Marquez, took centre stage.
However, in the past two weeks, Harry has appeared far happier and relaxed in New York, London and Lesotho, where Meghan has been notably absent.
He has also been reaching out to old friends in the UK, seemingly yearning after his old life.
It is, however, denied that he wishes to resume being a working royal.
An insider told The Sun: “He has been speaking to old friends and wanting to reconnect.
“He does want to spend more time in the UK, but said he can’t bring Meghan back because he doesn’t feel she is safe without an armed police presence.
“But the idea he is asking the Palace and his family to make a return to royal duty is wide off the mark.”
Harry’s father, Charles, 75, has not been in contact with his son since they spent 30 minutes together in February following the King’s cancer announcement.
And William, 42, does not appear to have spoken to his brother since the September 2022 funeral of Queen Elizabeth, due to Harry’s insults and mud-slinging in his six-part Netflix series and memoir, Spare.
They avoided each other at a memorial service for their late mum Diana’s brother-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, in August.
But Harry did hire a UK-based representative to improve his reputation here.
And he hinted in an Invictus Games interview that he wants to return home more often.
Earlier this year, he and Meghan rebranded as sussex.com, with a royal crest.
But Ashley Hansen — credited with ending the couple’s personal and public attacks on the Royal Family — is now spreading her wings.
Their chief of staff, Josh Kettler, left after three months.
And the pair were stung by claims in The Hollywood Reporter that some staff called Meghan “Duchess Difficult” and a “dictator in high heels”, while describing Harry as an “enabler”.
Ashley was quick to defend Meghan against the allegations to Us Weekly.
Rather tellingly, a statement commenting on her departure was issued by Meghan, not Harry.
It said: “We are so proud of Ashley, especially as a female entrepreneur.
“We look forward to having her focused expertise on our business and creative projects and her continued oversight of our communications team.
“My husband and I are excited to be alongside Ashley as she builds something extraordinarily special with her firm.”
People mag in the US, which has a close relationship with Archewell, yesterday quoted a “friend” who described the changes in Meghan and Harry’s roles as a “twin-track approach”.
They said: “An entrepreneurial and enterprise focus is going to be more the Duchess’s priority.
“And the Duke will continue to champion his not-for-profit patronages. But there will be joint efforts around cause-driven areas of work.”
They added of the couple’s time apart, “It’s as much a reflection on parenting priorities, in that one of them stays behind with the children.”
This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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