Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been married for almost seven years, but a royal biographer says the couple are living in a marriage surrounded by ‘intense turmoil’
Harry and Meghan are marking seven years of marriage this week(Image: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kiss on the steps of St George’s Chapel, following their wedding vows, made headlines worldwide. The romantic, picture-perfect moment marked the beginning of another blissful royal marriage – drawing the same level of public adoration as Prince William and Kate Middleton before them.
However, according to Royal biographer Tom Bower, seven years later, the reality is quite different. The former BBC journalist, currently penning his second book on the couple, describes the period since 19 May 2018 as an “unpredictable, tumultuous rollercoaster”.
Tom says: “When the nation, and the world, saw them at St George’s Chapel, they thought, ‘This is bliss’. It was perceived as a wonderful image, something terrific for the Royal family and terrific for Britain.”
He continues: “Harry has always been smitten with Meghan, and naturally, they are both now devoted to their children.”
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, had announced their engagement about six months prior, following a romantic proposal featuring a bespoke three-stone ring – crafted using diamonds from the collection of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, reports the Mirror.
Their nuptials occurred just weeks after another happy Royal event, the birth of William and Kate’s third child, Prince Louis. However, even as their wedding day neared, the couple found themselves entangled in some rather unsavoury family disputes.
Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr, confessed to having deceived his future son-in-law about staging paparazzi photos for money just weeks before the wedding.
Despite the undeniable love between the couple, former investigative journalist Tom suggests that signs of the trajectory their marriage would take were already apparent.
The couple married at St George’s Chapel in May 2018(Image: Getty Images)
He asserts: “The guest list indicated where it was all headed. It was packed with Hollywood celebrities, and Meghan’s family was absent. Everything that was evident on that day has come to pass – there has been a family split, and a return to Hollywood.”
The pair welcomed their first child, Prince Archie, on 6 May 2019, during a time when they were fully engaged in royal duties and seemingly on good terms with William and Kate.
The couple sent Harry and Meghan a humorous message congratulating them on the birth, saying: “Welcome to the sleep deprivation club.”
However, things took a turn just a year later. Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back as senior members of the Royal family, aiming to achieve independence, “while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen”.
They planned to divide their time between the UK and North America. Tom comments: “In the beginning, Harry found it fantastic and Meghan clearly loved it.
“It was a great adventure. He had amazing freedom in the sunshine, paddling in the Pacific, embracing fatherhood and everything. So I think that at this stage, it was going well. But then their reality changed. The issue of their ties with the UK and Harry’s family became apparent, and Harry found that very, very difficult.”
The couple have created problems with the royals over there tell-all interviews (Image: Instagram )
In 2021, the couple sat down with US presenter Oprah Winfrey to share their experiences. Tom suggests that the income from Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, along with their Spotify and Netflix deals, has undoubtedly provided them with substantial financial security.
However, this comes with a price – the most significant being Harry’s relationship with his brother and father.
Adding to this is his recent High Court case concerning his security while in the UK, and his remarks about the King no longer speaking to him.
They are essentially in a marriage engulfed by intense turmoil, warns Tom. He claims: “It’s been an unpredictable, tumultuous rollercoaster, which is not what they expected.”
“Harry’s lost relationships with his family in England, and I think he is now a very lonely prince. But what is brilliant about them is they conceal the turmoil that they go through, such as with the court case on security in London. Harry is troubled, but Meghan can’t help with that in any way. She doesn’t want to be involved in Harry’s battle with his family.”
“She’s focused on their life in California with the children and building her brand. Everything that’s happened since their wedding has put a huge strain on them – but Meghan’s a consummate performer and knows how to ignore criticism and present herself looking immaculate and smiling.”
As they hope for calmer times ahead, it seems Harry and Meghan could be yearning for a more tranquil second chapter in their marriage. According to Tom, Harry should concentrate on relishing time with Meghan, their six year old son Archie, and three year old daughter Lilibet, while discovering his purpose.
The family of four are now based full-time in California(Image: Getty Images)
Tom believes predicting their future is challenging but remains confident, saying, “I’ve never for a moment thought they would end their marriage.”
“Instinctively, I think the marriage is sound because they have a lot in common and clearly have endless intensive conversations about their fate, which binds them.”
“The marriage was ideal because he wanted to be saved, he needed help. Meghan is a sort of mother and lover, and that was what he needed. They both want to be loved, and they both love their children.”
“They have a big enough house to have their own space from each other, and Harry will go off and do his things – for example attending an event in New York without her – and vice versa. They don’t feel that they have to be together all the time.”
Together, they’ve navigated many challenges throughout their first seven years of marriage. Judging by their past, Harry and Meghan’s future may be filled with more challenges, but they’ll likely face them together, through thick and thin.
Tom notes: “I’d be hugely surprised if she didn’t stay loyal to Harry – it would be completely contrary to everything we’ve seen of her. It’s impossible to predict exactly what the future holds. Other than Harry writing another book or Meghan writing about her experiences, they need to find their purpose.
“The real problem for them is what does Harry do? He’s 40, hasn’t an official role and he has lots of enemies. Not being close to his family leaves a hole – his focus must be on filling that in California, with Meghan.”
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.