what's going on between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?

They described themselves as “salt and pepper,” constantly side by side at every public event. But for several months, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have gone their separate ways, and no longer appear in public together. Or so little that a question burns on the lips: is their relationship failing? The tabloids watch for their slightest appearances and track down the only clues that could answer them.

At the beginning of October, it was Harry, alone, who traveled to South Africa and Lesotho, where he co-founded the NGO Sentebale with Prince Seeiso, to help children victims of poverty. A month earlier, he was again without his wife, this time in New York, to denounce the ravages of social networks on the stage of the Clinton Global Initiative, a summit organized by the Clinton Foundation (named after the former president), and to participate in Jimmy Fallon's talk show. The Duke of Sussex was still alone in London at the end of September to attend the WellChild Awards, an association which works for sick children and adolescents and of which he is the sponsor. “These appearances seemed successful, particularly his interaction with the WellChild children, which reminded many people of the 'Harry' of the past,” observes royal correspondent Richard Fitzwilliams.

No more merger, way for a split

The absence of Meghan Markle raises questions. However, it would be wrong to believe that it is the consequence of tensions between the Sussexes: in reality, it would only be “a new strategy”, as Richard Fitzwilliams confirms. “Harry and Meghan experienced it this year. This is reminiscent of how members of the royal family typically choose their patronages, based on their particular interests or commitments.”

In 2024, Harry has thus focused more on his philanthropic activities and the charitable causes that are so close to his heart: mental health, children, the disabled and the disadvantaged. “Like his mother, Princess Diana, he intends to travel the world to defend his humanitarian ideal in order to promote the values ​​of mutual aid and solidarity that are dear to him,” journalist Marc Roche already analyzed in October in his column “Letter from Buckingham” for The Point. Meghan Markle had the firm intention of developing her entrepreneurial projects. The Duchess of Sussex is notably “determined to grow her American Riviera Orchard line of well-being products and is working, in parallel, on a Netflix series devoted to gardening and cooking. “In addition, she is in negotiations with the publisher Penguin with a view to publishing the memories of her time with the Windsors, a fiery work which would earn her a fabulous advance in exchange for juicy revelations on the errors of the royal family,” writes Marc Roche again.

The Sussexes would therefore have had hollow noses. Ultimately, their strategy should bear fruit. Richard Fitzwilliams is the first to be convinced of this. “This solo approach highlighted their respective strengths, something they sorely need, especially since any criticism of the royal family seems ill-advised given the state of health of the King and Princess of Wales,” underlines the expert on British royalty. Especially since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry must restore their image and win back the hearts of the public, they whose “popularity rating is terrible in Great Britain”, adds Richard Fitzwilliams.

A marriage that is failing?

Is this separation of Meghan and Harry only professional? Yes, according to well-informed tabloid sources. “The Duke and Duchess have just now found their cruising speed as individuals, and not just as a couple,” a close source assured. People in October. For Richard Fitzwilliams, there is no reason to see here any sign of distance between the Sussexes. “Harry and Meghan knew full well that their new solo approach would spark speculation about their marriage. But, in my opinion, it is simply a new strategy for their brand,” assures the royal chronicler. “I don’t see any evidence that they are competing. Rather, it seems that they are trying to build on what they perceive as their strengths: Meghan's campaign for women's empowerment, their work against online abuse, Harry's hugely successful Invictus Games, and so on.”

But don't they say that there is no smoke without fire? According to journalist Marc Roche, if the Sussexes had until now always “driven” in tandem, several elements have weakened their balance. In focus, accusations of poor management against Meghan Markle. “Meghan's image, and by extension that of Harry, has suffered greatly from the resignation of 19 of their collaborators in the United States over the past three years. The abandonment highlighted the difficulty of working with someone who was described as a “terror” by mistreating a hard-working staff at will,” notes the author of numerous works on the Windsors, including The Borgias at Buckingham (1).

A future with less Meghan Markle

And then, Harry would want to chart his own course, without always being in the shadow of his wife. This quest for freedom could even lead him to reconcile more easily with his family. “Since the publication of his murderous autobiography, His Highness has been more than ever an outcast at court. Not only is he at odds with his family, but with his childhood friends, from the boarding school and from the army,” says Marc Roche. “The prince is aware that by publicly distancing himself from his hated wife at the Palace, a return to the good graces of the British establishment appears possible.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have both planned separate appearances next week, each on a coast in the United States. The Duke of Sussex will join Andrew Ross Sorkin in New York for a conversation at the DealBook conference New York Times Wednesday, December 4. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Duchess of Sussex is expected to attend the Paley Honors fall gala.

(1) The Borgias at BuckinghamAlbin Michel, May 2022, 336 pages, €20.90.

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