2026 began with strong rumors about the separation of Harry and Meghan Markle. According to new reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are experiencing their biggest marital crisis since leaving the royal family in 2020.
Sources close to the couple claim that Prince Harry's desire to return to the UK with the royal family clashes with Meghan's total refusal, as she refuses to be an active member of the institution again, turning the issue into a dangerous ticking time bomb that could be pushing them toward divorce this year.
Since settling in California after the infamous Megxit movement of 2020, the couple had avoided addressing the possibility of a return to the UK. However, the second half of 2025 changed the landscape for Harry, as he made every effort to reconcile with his family and managed to reconnect with his father, King Charles III, after years of estrangement.
According to sources close to the couple, the prince is emotionally driven to return to his roots after reuniting with his father at Clarence House last September and due to the potential favorable outcome of his legal battle over security in the UK. For Harry, returning is no longer just a desire, but has become an urgent need, the sources claim, even if it means a permanent separation.
Meanwhile, Meghan has remained firm in her decision not to return to the UK despite wanting to retain her royal title, and she has expressed discontent and frustration with her husband's plans. For her, the UK represents memories of media pressure, constant attacks, and emotional strain. The idea of returning, even for short periods, awakens everything she thought she had definitively escaped, insiders say.
Her reluctance to return to the institution has caused a crisis between her and Harry, with constant arguments and fights.
Reports claim that the rift in their relationship isn't due to a lack of love, but rather to their individual fears. Meghan fears being under constant public scrutiny in the kingdom, while Harry worries about being away from his father, who is battling cancer, and feels like his time is running out.
"Meghan resists even bringing this up in her everyday conversations because it carries a heavy emotional weight for her," the source explained. "She's fully aware that if the security issue is resolved, the main practical argument against returning disappears, and with it comes the assumption that she should accept returning. Right now, she feels ill-prepared for that change and isn't sure she could cope psychologically or emotionally," the source added.
For his part, Harry feels he has unfinished business from his past that he urgently needs to resolve, despite feeling torn between his wife and children and his father and the rest of the royal family.
"Harry is in a distressing situation, torn between his commitment to his wife and children and a powerful sense of unfinished business from his past," the insider said.
