Don’t Believe the Rumors: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Marriage is Apparently Doing Just Fine

\201cNothing but smiles and laughter here.\201d

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss onstage
(Image credit: Getty)

Don’t believe the hype—despite ongoing and persistent divorce rumors, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage is doing just fine, thank you very much.

Amidst failing marriage rumors, OK reports that the pair are “happy together” as they continue to build their lives in Montecito, California with children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Family friend Karl Larsen said of the Sussexes “Please do not believe the media. They [Harry and Meghan] are very much in love and are happy together; [there are] nothing but smiles and laughter here.” 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Service of Thanksgiving during the Platinum Jubilee

(Image credit: Getty)

This counters reports from the likes of British aristocrat Lady Colin Campbell, who previously told OK “I have heard from five totally reliable sources that Harry called in the lawyers some months ago,” she said, presumably referring to divorce lawyers. “The problem is that the information doesn’t necessarily match up with their public face. But, of course, their public face is, to an extent, slapped on for monetary gain.”

Royal expert Angela Levin, who is generally a pretty vociferous critic of the Sussexes, added “I think if you have a row in your marriage, you perhaps might go into another room. If you book [a room] permanently, that means you are going to use it a lot. So he’s not in the family house anymore,” she said, referring to since-refuted reports that Harry had a rented suite at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood. (This claim was so farfetched that Harry’s rep even spoke out about it and rebutted it, as Marie Claire reported on recently.)

Meghan’s half-sister Samantha Markle also added fuel to the divorce rumors discussion, saying “I see it ending in divorce unless they get extensive counseling and can agree to work on being honest, to work on apologies to everyone that they’ve damaged in the course of this bull-in-a-china-shop, two-year spiel.”

Press treatment has always been rough for the Sussexes, but especially so in recent months. Despite this, a source close to the couple claim the pair are “unfazed by critics” and said “People can call them money hungry and even ‘grifters,’ [but] Harry and Meghan think it’s all just jealous[y] and mean people flinging stones.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in the Netherlands

(Image credit: Getty)

The two seem happy with their new life in the U.S., where they relocated in 2020 after their infamous step back as working members of the royal family that January. The Mirror reports that Harry has sent two clear messages that he has cut off his life in the U.K. that can’t be ignored: Missing both the wedding of longtime friend Jack Mann (whom Harry called the real best man at his 2018 wedding, despite older brother Prince William long being regarded as such) and the presentation of the Diana Award. While Harry has attended some events in the U.K. since early 2020—namely King Charles’ Coronation and Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee—he has missed far more than he has made, signifying that his life and his priorities are now elsewhere, with Meghan and their children in California.

“As with the fact that William and Harry didn’t appear together for the Diana Award, Harry not attending his best man’s [wedding] is quite a symbol that he’s just cut off his life back in the U.K.,” royal correspondent Matt Wilkinson said on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat. Referring to Frogmore Cottage—which the Sussexes were evicted from recently—Wilkinson continued “They’ve got nowhere to live, so where would they be, the Premier Inn ‘round the corner? They don’t have a base here in the U.K., and they’re worried about security.” 

Prince Harry smiles at the camera

(Image credit: Getty)

This week, Harry was spotted with little Lilibet—who just turned two—at a Fourth of July parade, complete with vintage vehicles decorated with American flags passing through the streets. Though only Harry and Lili were pictured, Meghan and Archie were also said to be in attendance, too. The next day, Harry’s father King Charles took part in his second Coronation ceremony, this one in Scotland, alongside wife Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales. For this Coronation, Harry opted to skip and stay behind at his new home in the U.S. while the event took place in Edinburgh.

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more. 

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