There have been rumors swirling around about a potential Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split in recent weeks, which many sources have denied.
For royal expert Katie Nicholl, while she understands what might have sparked these rumors, there is just "no evidence" of any fallout between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"My experience of Harry and Meghan, whenever I have been with them, is of a couple who are very, very close—a sort of spark between them that always struck me as being very authentic," she told Entertainment Tonight.
For Nicholl, the publication of Spare has led to difficult times for the couple.
"It's further alienated him from his friends and his family, and I think inevitably, that has put a strain on them," she said.
"And I think it was very notable that in the run-up to the launch of his autobiography and all the publicity, Meghan was notable by her absence. And that was really the first time we've seen a divide between them, because up until then they'd 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."
I would like to pause here to point out that Prince Harry published his own book, and therefore promoted it by himself, which seems like the normal thing to do for any author—frankly, it would have felt stranger to me if Meghan had been physically there during that press circuit. It's also likely that she was supporting her husband from a distance, all while staying home with the kids, though of course I'm only speculating here.
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Anyway, for Nicholl, that's where the split rumors originated, snowballing from then on. "As yet there is no evidence and they're presenting a very united front," she asserted.
Still, for the expert, "I think these are challenging times for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
She explained that though the world may want to see the Sussexes concentrate their efforts on philanthropy first and foremost, they still need to make money, given their housing, security, and lifestyle costs. This is unfortunately proving more difficult these days, especially after their contract with Spotify was ended fairly abruptly.
Recently, royal expert Ingrid Seward commented, "They are having a run of bad luck in their working life. But ironically as long as they concentrate on delivering personal stuff instead of more serious work, people will be interested.
"They have built a gilded cage of expectation around themselves from which it will be hard to escape."
Meanwhile, one media commentator suggested that Meghan may be looking to go back to acting in the future, though we will have to wait and see whether this materializes.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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