Determined, hot-headed and maybe a little impetuous, Prince Harry has stormed his way into a London courtroom and taken to the witness stand to deliver a scathing statement amidst his on-going trial against a British newspaper group. It’s the latest in a long list of angry vents he has unleashed upon the British press, the Royal Family, and even the British government – a dangerous move that critics have warned could see him dismissed from public life. Meanwhile, while she has remained by his side since their departure from royal life in 2020, Meghan Markle’s latest career ventures couldn’t be further from Harry’s on-going toxicity. 

The super savvy actress-turned-humanitarian, business woman and charity founder recently scooped up a gong at the Women of Vision Awards last month – urging women to live with “kindness” and “grace”. Despite making a public statement following their dramatic car chase drama through the streets of New York last month, Meghan, 41, who opted not to attend the Coronation of King Charles or accompany her husband, 38, during his court trial, has been lying low at the family’s Montecito mansion. 

Her unusual absence from the limelight has also coincided with reports that Harry has been spending time at the exclusive San Vicente Bungalows in Hollywood, as well as allegedly keeping a local hotel room on standby if he ever needs space from Meghan and their two children – Archie, four, and two-year-old Lilibet. And now sources say their five-year marriage has become “increasingly tense” as they fail to agree on where to take their Sussex brand next – with Meghan making clear steps towards a career independent of Harry. 

The insider says, “Things are getting increasingly tense between Meghan and Harry right now. They’re desperate to put a positive spin on their brand as right now everything seems focussed on their bitter family rift with the royals or their recent car-chase drama. They’ve been advised countless times to try and move on from it all, and now Meghan has decided to take action. She has been schmoozing in different circles without Harry by her side and feels that while she’s doing that, he could also be working on some of his own projects and charities. She’s not suggesting they totally split up the brand as their Archewell foundation is a huge part of their career trajectory. But Meghan feels they’ve been tied at the hip for too long now as she wants to show the world more of her independent side.” 

The Sussexes launched Archewell nine months after stepping down as senior royals, and while the Foundation is ‘not for profit’, its launch simultaneously saw the couple land over £100 million in deals with streaming giants including Netflix, Spotify and publishing house, Penguin. The couple, after all, were reported to have taken out a £7.6 million mortgage to buy their £11.8 million home in Montecito, after Harry revealed his father had cut him off financially. 

The pair also have expensive taste in restaurants, hobbies and clothes, with the jewellery Meghan recently wore to go hiking costing over £150,000 – without including the late Princess Diana’s £17,800 Cartier watch. 

However, while Meghan had hoped to follow her causes, which include the rights of girls and women, she soon discovered that it was speaking out about her experience and the injustices she suffered during her time in the Royal Family that really raked in the millions. The couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah pulled in 17.1 million viewers, and their December Netflix docu-series drew in 4.1 million during its first week. 

Harry’s explosive January memoir, Spare – in which he reveals the most intimate details of his life, including his fight with Prince William and that story of his frost-bitten penis – also broke a Guinness World Record for the fastest selling nonfiction book of all time. However, Meghan’s animated series Pearl was dropped by the streaming platform and, last week, it was revealed that audio giant Spotify has been forced to slash 200 more jobs, allegedly influenced by their expenditure on pricey podcasters like the Duchess of Sussex. 

But the source says Meghan, who rose to fame on US legal drama Suits, is refusing to give up on her dreams, and is discreetly engaging in new friendships that could boost her career goals. Tellingly, Meghan also signed with new management company, WME, in April – a swanky talent agency who also represent Oprah Winfrey, Charlize Theron and Serena Williams. Introducing their new client as ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’, Harry was nowhere in sight. 

Now, the source says, “Meghan would really like to get in with the Walton family, who are considered to be one of the richest families in America. She loves moving in powerful circles because she feels it’s the only way to have a real influence with her career goals. Meghan never loses her focus or gets distracted by anything. She really wants to be seen as one of the world’s next great humanitarian forces and feels it’s important to keep climbing that ladder in terms of getting more visionary awards bestowed upon her and knows the only way to do that is to play the game in terms of what friends you have in high places.” 

Meanwhile, alongside reports that he misses his London social life and his UK friends, Harry has been forced to reflect and reminisce on the past – including his six-year relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy – and the source says Harry’s past and privilege has proved to be a major divide between the pair. 

They add, “Harry doesn’t have the same drive and ambition. As a Royal he has pretty much had everything handed everything to him on a plate. Meghan is the opposite – she’s had to fight with grit and determination to get where she is and she doesn’t want to stop now. The only issue is that Meghan’s diary is getting a lot more packed than Harry’s and mutual pals are worried about him being left alone in Montecito.

The insider adds, “Their pals are a bit worried about what this could spell for their future – especially as Harry seems to get a bit lost with Meghan by his side. He hasn’t really given up his love of partying and misses having boozy nights with his pals back in London. She is happy to take on most of the work as at the end of the day, she is the one who is the recipient of these awards – while Harry seems to be happy to just proudly watch from the side-lines.”