Insider Claims Prince Harry Planned 9-Month ‘Professional Divorce’ From Meghan to Repair His Image

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary on May 19. While Markle asserts she and Harry are ‘madly in love’ and in their ‘honeymoon phase,’ reports allude to trouble in paradise. An insider revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have entered a nine-month professional divorce. They also claimed that the pair is planning to appoint separate chiefs of staff as part of their new chapter.

Harry allegedly spent nine months planning the way forward for his separate individual brand as the Duke of Sussex. As reported by GB News, the insider dished, “Harry is unkindly described as the 'spare' to Meghan's endeavors. In reality, he has been giving her the space to flourish. Now it is his time to throw himself into exciting new work.” They added, “Invictus will always come first, but he has also been working on commercial ideas of his own,” which are to be revealed later this year.

The pair's ‘professional separation’ represents a change from relying on informal advisers for their public and commercial activities. The Daily Mail reports that as part of the separate staff agreement, Meredith Kendall Maines is set to lead a newly formed 11-member team based in Montecito, California, and the UK. This new operation will function independently from Archewell, the Sussexes’ original philanthropic foundation. A spokesperson for the couple said, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have retained the support of Method Communications to support their growing business portfolio. Serving as an extension of the Sussex communications team, led by chief communications officer Meredith Maines.”

Sources say the new team will also work on Harry’s tainted image after royal exit and Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever. The Duchess is also gearing up to roll season 2 of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. According to reports, each senior appointee of the new household will be pocketing a six-figure salary. Miranda Barbot, a veteran political and media adviser, will work solely for Harry. Similarly, Sarah Fosmo, formerly an aide to Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, will work with Markle. An insider told the Mail, “Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates. He is clearly reaching out, thinking, 'I need to do something different because what I'm doing is clearly not working.'”

Rumors of a ‘professional split’ between Harry and Markle first surfaced in 2024 when they made more solo appearances and pursued independent business ventures. At the time, a source told InTouch Weekly that Markle was tired of being a ‘package deal.’ The insider explained, “She's long been super independent, which has caused some tension, but now she and Harry are on the same page.” The Duchess reportedly wanted to be recognized and valued for her accomplishments and talents, rather than solely be known as the wife of a Prince.