The truth about Meghan Markle’s rumoured ‘post-divorce’ book
The Duchess of Sussex’s team allegedly spoke to a publishing house to ‘gauge interest’ about the potential book.
Words by Nikki Peach
If you weren’t already aware, Vanity Fair recently conducted a deep dive into the elusive world of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to mark five years since they left the royal family.
They spoke to countless current and former employees, friends, neighbours and sceptics in a bid to scratch beneath the polished and carefully protected surface.
The findings were significant and varied in scope, with the consensus being that the pair have struggled to find their feet as celebrities outside the context of the royal family, they have differing approaches to fame, they are still incredibly in love, and that Markle has a book deal lined up in the event of a shock divorce.
Naturally, the contradiction of those last two findings struck a chord with a lot of readers. If Harry and Markle are as smitten as reports suggest, then what is the need for a post-marital book deal on the back burner?
According to the outlet, Meghan’s team had allegedly spoken to a publishing house to ‘gauge interest’ in the idea for such a book, which would focus on the couple’s hypothetical divorce. ‘No offer was ever made, and no manuscript was produced,’ the article reads. ‘After all: There was no divorce’.
It is unlikely that we will ever find out whether said book proposal was a passing comment, a joke, a legitimate thought-out plan or, as is always a possibility, fabricated nonsense.
It’s worth remembering the level of scrutiny, vitriol and bad faith this couple has to deal with on a near daily basis. Regardless of their props as philanthropists or podcasters, this is a couple that faces relentless media attention and backlash regardless of what they do. Whether they are challenging the power structures of the firm, handing out food parcels to victims of the LA fires or simply holding hands at a public event.
If Harry and Markle disappear from social media, they are calculated digital strategists looking for attention. If they return, they are hypocritical and fame hungry.
‘Everywhere she looks and reads there is something about her and Harry breaking up’
In fact, an insider has since claimed Markle is ‘devastated’ by the rumour. ‘Meghan knows that the rumours always make their fans worry about a split, and she doesn’t like that sort of negativity being spread.’
‘[She] was devastated when she saw all these reports about a “post-divorce” book coming out,’ the insider continued. ‘She knows there’s no truth to them and it’s just upsetting for her to constantly have this negativity around them. She’s really sick and tired of all the split rumours. Everywhere she looks and reads there is something about her and Harry breaking up.’
The couple have, after all, only just seen the back of the last spate of divorce rumours – fuelled by their alleged new PR strategy of a ‘professional separation’. Until their recent visit to the Pasadena Convention Centre in LA, where they were accused of turning the LA wildfires into a ‘photo op’, the couple had not been seen together in public since the start of September.
They both continued with their individual projects and engagements as normal but seemed to avoid being seen together. Once this was picked up and reported on, their new strategy quickly snowballed into ‘clear signs’ that they were headed for divorce. Harry then shut down the rumours at The New York Times Dealbook Summit in December when the host Andrew Ross Sorkin asked him about the intense public interest in his private life.
‘Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?,’ he laughed. ‘It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it.’
After spending Christmas and New Year together as a family, which they dared to do without the world knowing, Markle hoped to turn a new leaf in 2025. She made a bold return to social media on 1 January, sharing a video of herself running barefoot across the beach, and announced her forthcoming Netflix series With Love, Meghan the following day. Following postponment in response to the LA wildries, the series is due to air on 4 March.
As one of the most trolled individuals in the world (in 2019 she was genuinely bestowed that title), Markle knew to disable the comment section on Instagram from day one. By silencing the trolls, who she has previously described as ‘almost unsurvivable’, it seemed as though things were looking up for the Duchess of Sussex, who gained more than one million followers in her first few weeks on the platform.
Then came the Vanity Fair cover story, which did not paint Markle in a particularly favourable light. One Montecito resident, who the couple has never met, blamed them for the rising house prices in the area and did not speak highly of Markle’s use of ‘Montecito’ on the branding of her lifestyle company, American Riviera Orchard. ‘It’s such a kind of hucksterism,’ the local said. ‘It’s just finding every way she can to monetise something.’
‘I think they’re the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet,’ the source continued. Royal expert and commentator Kinsey Schofield said the Sussexes are feeling ‘bruised and upset’ by the long read. ‘They are in a bad place right now,’ she told Sky News Australia. ‘It is my understanding that they are upset over it [and] I’m being told things aren’t good for them right now.’
As for the ‘post-divorce book’, it was always going to be one of the main things people took away from the article. Especially within the context of the wider snipes about her character, the notion of a plan-b book deal makes Markle appear calculated and cold.
It’s certainly not the start to 2025 she had been hoping for, but sadly backlash is something Markle is all too used to.
Photo: Getty