Royalty recognizes royalty.Prince Harryand wifeMeghanwere all smiles as they watched the NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., Feb. 15, seated next to Grammy-winning music starQueen Latifah. With formerPresident Barack Obamaand first ladyMichelle Obama, Oscar nomineeTeyana Taylorand Destiny's Child singerKelly Rowlandcheering nearby, cameras caught Meghan sweetly rubbing Harry's arm, encouraging him to wave to fans.
Getty Images" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Getty Images" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> It looked like another winning night out — the kind of high-profile date the couple have leaned into since moving from the U.K. to California six years ago. "They make a big point to cozy up in public and show the world this 'us against the world' vibe," a source tellsStar. But behind the scenes, there is pressure. A new book by royal expertRussell Myers,William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, out March 10, contradicts key parts of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's narrative about their fallout with the royal family and feud with his brother,Prince William, 43, and his wife,Princess Catherine, 44, all but accusing them of lying. At the same time, the couple's dwindling American dream is threatened by both Meghan's career misses and Harry's renewed interest in rejoining the royal family. As the source says, "The hits keep on coming." (A rep for the Sussexes tellsStarallegations of problems within the marriage are "totally and utterly false.")
The Truth Wars
Pegasus Books" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The new book, which is clearly pro–Prince and Princess of Wales, has reopened old wounds by refuting some of Harry, 41, and 44-year-old Meghan's most explosive claims. Harry opened his bombshell-filled 2023 memoir,Spare, for example, with a detailed account of William physically assaulting him during a heated argument over Meghan's allegedly poor treatment of palace staff (she's denied the bullying). But aninsider told the authorthat Harry's version of events — including being knocked to the floor — was "massively overblown," framing the duke's take as a "cheap shot." According to the source, "Tensions were running very high, and yes, there certainly were cross words exchanged that on reflection were regrettable, but [William] is adamant there was no physical violence."
Myers also writesthat once Harry and Meghan decided they wanted to step down from the royal family in 2020, Kate had less interest than William in trying to stop them, as she believed Harry quitting his royal duties was "inevitable." Though Kate had previously been a "voice of reason" amid William and Harry's increasingly fraught relationship, she realized she "could do no more to bring the brothers together." Myers writes that she believed their fundamental differences as the "heir and the spare" had "created the inevitability of Harry wanting more from his role than being a bit-part player."
According to the book, Kate also decided the couple "weren't to be trusted" after they made stunning allegations — including claims the palace was harboring an unnamed royal racist — in a 2021 interview, and that any future engagement with the two should be approached with "the utmost of caution." Kate and William "were both wounded by the numerous accusations and the presentation of Harry and Meghan's 'truth,'" Myers adds, especially Harry's assertion that his brother was "trapped" in the royal system. Kate, meanwhile, "felt deeply let down over Meghan's disclosure of a private exchange" — the infamous fight over bridesmaid dresses before the Sussexes' 2018 wedding — which saw Meghan correcting reports she'd made Kate cry. "The reverse happened," Meghan insisted, publicly revealing the future queen had apologized and sent flowers.
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Dream Is Over
Meghan Markle/Instagram" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The renewed scrutiny is just the latest blow for the Sussexes. Things haven't exactly gone to plan since Harry and Meghan decamped to the $14.6 million mansion in Montecito, Calif., they now share with sonArchie, 6, and daughterLilibet, 4. Despite their claim they wanted to be "financially independent," their success has been fleeting. After two seasons of declining ratings, the formerSuitsstar's Netflix lifestyle showWith Love, Meghanwas not renewed for a third season, for instance, while plans to expand her nearly one-year-old food and home goods brand, As Ever, have yet to materialize. An earlier podcast venture fizzled, and the pair's $100 million Netflix deal was downgraded to a first-look deal.
Even projects that showed promise haven't fully delivered. Despite positive reviews and packed screenings forCookie Queensat the Sundance Film Festival in January, the Girl Scout documentary executive produced by the Sussexes reportedly failed to secure a distribution deal immediately following its premiere. And on Feb. 16 came news that London's Hubb Community Kitchen — the first charitable project Meghan backed as part of her royal work in 2018 — had shut down. "Meghan is very disappointed," says the source. "It's yet another stick for her critics to beat her with and a negative piece of news she could well do without."
Loyalty Test
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA; James Whatling" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Then there is "Project Thaw," the attempt of palace courtiers to facilitate a reconciliation between Harry and his ailing father,King Charles III, 77. After they eased their estrangement last September in London with their first face-to-face meeting in more than 18 months, Harry toldThe Guardianthat over the next year, "the focus really has to be on my dad," who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
It's been a moment of clarity for Meghan. After suffering in palace life — she has accused courtiers of failing to stop racist coverage of her in the U.K. press and said she felt so unsupported she contemplated suicide early in their marriage — Harry's potential reconciliation stings, especially for someone who is estranged from her own father. "She knows, deep down, that Harry will never stop being a royal and that their life together is contingent on her accepting that," says the source. "After all his promises and plans for independence, it's a very tough pill to swallow."
Complicating matters is Harry's ongoing hope for security in the U.K. In late 2025, the British government finally agreed to conduct a review of his safety needs — a move poised to open the door to a full-scale return for the couple and their children. Harry has been eyeing a return to Britain around Easter, the source tellsStar, noting "he'd like to head back with Meghan and the kids." Meghan, on the other hand, is desperate to protect her children from the royals. Having not returned sinceQueen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022, she "doesn't have any desire to set foot back into the lion's den," says the source, leaving Harry "resigned to the possibility that once again he'll be making the trip by himself."
Future Fears
Meghan Markle/Instagram" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> It might not just be that trip. This summer marks a decade since Harry and Meghan met and fell in love. With their current issues, critics have questioned whether they'll make it to the anniversary. While a split could be devastating for Meghan, a source says Harry has safely stowed away his estimated $60 million fortune, including an estimated $10 million from his mother and $10 million from his late great-grandmother. "Harry and Meghan did not sign a prenup — it's not the done thing in royal circles," says the source. (Per California law, only assets and income earned by either spouse between the date of marriage and the date of separation are generally considered community property and are split 50/50.) "They had such high hopes when they came to America that things would go their way," says the source. "But it's been one disaster or disappointment after another, there's simply no getting away from that."
This storyPrince Harry and Meghan Markle 'Had High Hopes' About Moving to America, But It's Been a 'Disaster'first appeared onStar. AddStaras aPreferred Source by clicking here.