Meghan Markle re-wore a Carolina Herrera gown during a rare red carpet appearance as the tabloids returned to rumors her and Prince Harry have divided their working lives.
The Duchess of Sussex heaped praise on Los Angeles Children’s Hospital during a gala on behalf of the charity in downtown Los Angeles on October 5.
It came as British tabloids have been speculating about the strength of the Sussex marriage after Prince Harry embarked on a major three-stop world tour without Meghan.
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
Meghan’s Red Carpet Appearance in L.A.
Meghan smiled and posed with friend Kelly Zajfen as photographers called out “together ladies,” and asked “can we get all the smiles in one” photo.
She wore a modified version of the red Carolina Herrera gown that she was seen in at the Intrepid Museum Salute to Freedom Gala in November 2021.
Meghan told journalists: “The work that they do at Children’s Hospital L.A is otherworldly and I think from my standpoint as a mother no one wants to have to be in a position where you need to go to a place like this.
“But if you have to the best place in the world you could go is Children’s Hospital L.A. I have close friends who still have their children there going through treatments either from high school, close mom friends now that are having their children.”
Speculation About Separate Meghan and Harry
Speculative stories counting the number of engagements Harry has undertaken solo will no doubt spark frustration in the Sussex camp, as in reality they all form part of one trip spanning two weeks. He is due home this week.
In particular, it was only in August that the couple undertook a joint tour of Colombia and were photographed kissing and dancing the salsa together with not so much as a hint of any division between them.
A source told Newsweek the suggestion they are living separate lives was untrue and a bit much.
Rumblings in the British press began when U.K. broadsheet The Daily Telegraph ran a piece titled “Where’s Meghan?”that sparked fury among Meghan’s online fandom.
Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images
Much of the coverage has been couched in terms that appear on first glance to speak of a secret divorce, though in reality focus more on Harry having separate projects to Meghan.
The Sun ran the headline: “SEPARATE SUSSEXES: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are living separate lives—she is NOT popular, The Sun‘s Royal Exclusive Live reveals.”
Arthur Edwards, The Sun’s veteran royal photographer, said: “I think she’s struggling in popularity in the UK and I think they seem to be doing things separately now. She’s got her program and he’s got his.”
But Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, sounded a note of caution in a live event for the newspaper: “I think it suggests their business ventures are probably very different and they are very different.
What in the patriarchy is this? 🤣 Harry and Meghan are allowed to live their lives independently without being glued together. Harry’s doing incredible work in Lesotho… and we already know where Meghan is: as far away from the toxic British press as possible pic.twitter.com/kImxqofsKC
— James Barr (@jamesbarrcomedy) October 2, 2024
“I again, I go back to the idea that I don’t think we should drive a wedge in their marriage just because they have different commercial interests or charitable interests.”
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail went with: “Why Harry is going it alone: He and Meghan have barely been seen together for weeks.”
And the speculation hit U.S. shores with the New York Post: “‘Desperate’ Harry gets serious about repairing his image—and Meghan is not part of the project: ‘He wants space.'”
This is not the first time the couple have been subjected to this kind of gossip, which was also prevalent in summer 2023 in the months after Harry was mocked for his memoir and their Spotify deal collapsed.
Those doubts and rumors evaporated after a barrage of PDA by Harry and Meghan at The Invictus Games, in Germany, in September, 2023.
And it is entirely possible the same will happen this time around and put the gossip to bed, but for now Harry and Meghan’s PR problems continue just weeks after The Hollywood Reporter ran a story suggesting staff are terrified of Meghan.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
