Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be ‘distressed’ by the fresh claims in an explosive Vanity Fair expose.
The glossy US magazine, which has traditionally favoured the Sussexes, has made a series of blistering allegations in a cover article about the couple for its latest issue, cryptically headlined ‘American Hustle’.
One claim centres around the couple’s dynamic, with Meghan said to act as a “caregiver” to her husband while the Duke takes on the role of “facilitator” of his wife’s wishes. “I don’t want to be like, oh, it’s an Oedipus thing or whatever, but it kind of feels like she’s reparenting him in a way,” a source said. The couple have reportedly denied all allegations in the explosive article.
The couple’s relationship was only recently put under the spotlight when they travelled to Pasadena to console victims of the LA wildfires – with one expert highlighting how ‘awkward’ the Prince appeared.
Following their visit, the Sussexes were embroiled in wild conspiracy theories online, with some even suggesting they had ‘staged’ aspects of their trip, including a hug – a claim which has now been debunked. And, according to British historian and royal expert Tessa Dunlop, there was much to be made of Harry’s appearance.
She told the Mirror at the time: “If the Duchess can’t pull off a convincing philanthropy heist just 90 miles down the road from her Santa Barbara home, then just imagine how Prince Harry felt. I have never seen him look so awkward.
“While Meghan bobbed about, issuing hugs and bottles of water, her hair sashaying under a baseball cap, denim casuals keeping her look cool, uncomfortable, pale Harry hovered on the sidelines, neither in nor out, not fully engaged nor totally removed. Shifting on his feet, his milk-bottle white arms glowing in the forgiving sun, he seemed more unsure than the displaced folk without homes.”
Tessa continued: “In the words of one American friend, ‘Prince Harry has never looked like he belongs here’. Unlike the Beckhams’ easy transition into LA life, or former Californian Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s adoption of the state as his patch, Harry’s hardwired Britishness is a stumbling block, and never more so than last weekend in baked, ravaged Los Angeles where the Duke of Sussex clearly didn’t fit in.
“Perhaps unfairly, ire was poured on the couple for a ‘repulsive’ photoshop opportunity at a disaster hotspot, but the target of the vitriol was primarily his wife. This is her patch, and she’s the one-time Hollywood actress who has just been forced to postpone With Love, Meghan , her Netflix lifestyle-series filmed in Southern California. Once again, Harry is little more than a footnote in a bigger Meghan story.”
However, a friend of the couple defended their decision to travel to Pasadena and said: “It’s offensive to Meghan and Harry that anybody would think this is merely a photo opportunity.”
Meanwhile Victor Gordo, mayor of Pasadena, also praised the pair, saying they were keen to provide any support they could. The mayor said they were “great people” with “great personalities.” He added, “They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders. We visited the command post at the Rose Bowl, and people were very happy to see them.”
The “awkward” visit came just days before Vanity Fair alleged that Meghan’s team had a “conversation” with a publisher about a potential book on “post-divorce.” The article does make clear that the couple are not on the road to divorce, instead insisting that they are in fact loved-up, but the alleged meeting was scheduled to see if the publisher would “theoretically be interested” if there were, according to a source.
But according to The Times, the Sussexes have dismissed the allegations with a source close to them describing them as ‘distressing’. Those close to Harry and Meghan also reportedly point to comments made by actress Sharon Stone when they first moved to Montecito back in 2020, who said that the couple would wave to people in the street and had become a “giving, caring, participating part of our community.”
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