Surprise — Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are not attached at the hip. Recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been making public appearances separately.
This week, Markle made a rare solo appearance at the Paley Honors Fall Gala in Los Angeles to support the godfather of the couple’s daughter Princess Lilibet, Tyler Perry, who was honored that evening. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Prince Harry appeared at The New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit, where he addressed living with the public fascination surrounding his relationship.
During the conversation, moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Prince Harry about how he deals with the constant attention on everything he and his wife do, noting how there are articles all over the internet about the couple’s separate bicoastal appearances.
“Is that normal for you? The second there’s an article — she’s in California, you’re in New York — they say, ‘Well, what is happening with these two, right?’ Is that a good thing for you, in a way, that there’s so much interest in you?” Sorkin asked.
“No, that’s definitely not a good thing. Apparently, we’ve bought or moved house 10 [or] 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10 [or] 12 times as well. So it’s just like, ‘What?’ ” Prince Harry responded, laughing.
As the youngest child of Princess Diana and King Charles, the Duke of Sussex is no stranger to living under the spotlight. Having seen the way excessive media attention directly impacted his mother, even playing a role in her 1997 death, Prince Harry noted how life in the public eye altered his relationship with the press.
“I’ve had a lived experience since I was a kid. I’ve seen stories written about myself that aren’t exactly based on reality. I’ve seen stories about members of my family, friends, strangers, all sorts of people,” he explained. “And I think when you grow up within that environment, you do find yourself questioning the validity of the information but also what other people are thinking of that as well, and how dangerous it can be over the course of time.”
Ultimately, Prince Harry said he ignores fake narratives online, as he anticipates that the media and social media trolls will spin and twist his words at any given moment.
The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls,” he continued. “Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”
“The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals — not just as a couple,” a royal insider explained, per People magazine. “The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.”
