The United States is his home now. Nearly five years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Britain amid growing tensions with his family and the U.K. press, the royal is thankful for what they’ve built in America.
“I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids [Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3] up here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live,” Harry, 40, confessed at a NYC media summit on December 4. “I feel as though it’s the life that my mom [the late Princess Diana] wanted for me. To be able to do the things I’m able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the U.K. — it’s huge. That is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m hugely grateful for that.”
But while Harry was on the stage in Manhattan, Meghan, 43, was back in California preparing to go solo at an event of her own. The outings — the latest in a series of public appearances the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been making without each other in recent months, many in different states and countries — have fueled rampant speculation about the state of their marriage.
“They really are leading separate lives lately,” a source exclusively tells In Touch, “and they’re OK with that. While others might consider the long-distance nature of their relationship a big deal, Harry and Meghan don’t.”
Harry broke his silence and finally addressed the persistent rumors of trouble while in NYC.
“Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well,” he said, dismissing the theories with a laugh. “It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it.”
Six years into their marriage, Harry and Meghan have reached a turning point. Following a joint trip to Colombia in August, they started building out what some have branded a “twin-track” approach to their public lives, or a “professional separation.”
They haven’t been photographed in public together in roughly three months. (The pair did, however, appear together in two videos released in November and December on behalf of their charitable Archewell Foundation, to which both remain committed.) Instead, Harry’s been promoting his philanthropic initiatives with trips to the Big Apple, Africa, Britain and Canada. That’s allowed Meghan to focus on her own interests, which include investing in women-led businesses and working on commercial projects like her upcoming Netflix lifestyle show and American Riviera Orchard brand.
She’s been subtly reshaping her image, as well. Since being back on the L.A. scene, says an insider, the former Suits actress has tapped professionals who work with other big stars — including her royal wedding hairstylist, Serge Normant (Julia Roberts is a longtime client) — for help. Meghan also “has a designer wardrobe that’s constantly being topped-up by her stylist, Jamie Mizrahi, who works with a who’s who of Hollywood,” like Adele and Jennifer Lawrence, adds the insider.
“Meghan wants to be taken seriously as a big player, and in Hollywood, appearance is everything.”
It’s all been leading to this.
“Meghan got tired of always being a package deal,” explains the source. “She’s long been super independent, which has caused some tension, but now she and Harry are on the same page.”
It’s been a journey. In Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, he detailed a blowout fight he had with Meghan early in their relationship when a conversation “took an unexpected turn.” He grew “sloppily angry,” then “snapped” and spoke to his love “harshly” and “cruelly.” But instead of yelling back, Meghan calmly told him she wouldn’t “tolerate” that treatment from a partner or “raise children in an atmosphere of anger or disrespect.” Her threatening to walk away was a wake-up call. “I really needed that,” Harry later said. “I needed that pushback.”
They have a mutual understanding now.
“The children come first, and they’re both there for all the important events in their lives. They can be apart without any jealousy, but it’s crucial they come together as a family,” explains the source. “When Harry’s away, he FaceTimes Meghan every night. She texts him little love notes, pics of the kids, encouraging words throughout the day. That’s how they stay connected.”
At the NYC summit, Harry was asked what he wants to be known for in 30 years’ time.
“The main goal for me at the moment is being the best husband and the best dad that I can be,” he responded. That tracks, says the source: “Harry and Meghan are united as a couple and as parents.”
