Prince Harry looks back as Meghan Markle focuses on empire amid royal family rift

Prince Harry spends his time looking back on the past, while Meghan Markle is more focused on their future in California.

That’s according to an insider who recently claimed to People magazine that the Duchess of Sussex “wishes her husband could feel less burdened by the past and more present in the life they’ve built together.” Still, the mother of two “stands firmly” by the Duke of Sussex’s side as he still faces “a painful rift” with his family.

Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment.

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“Harry’s continued dwelling on the past is rooted in his unresolved personal grievances and an out-of-touch desire for public accountability,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.

“His every public move further damages any chance of reconciliation,” she claimed. “The senior royals now view that as totally out of the question. The royal family’s lack of trust in Meghan Markle is… rooted in the perception that she catalyzed the current rift, regardless of Harry being more vocal.”

Prince William and Queen Camilla are said to be among those who aren’t prioritizing reaching out to Prince Harry for any peace talks. ( Victoria Jones – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The source told People that Harry has one foot in the past while Meghan “is very business about it.”

In a recent interview with the BBC, Prince Harry said he’s ready to reconcile with his family. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

“They’re aware of everything going on in England, but they’re being left out of the details — there’s clearly no trust,” the source, close to the couple, told the outlet.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital it’s easy to see why there’s no reconciliation in sight despite Harry’s public pleas.

Prince Harry told the BBC that, for security reasons, it would be impossible to bring his two young children to the U.K. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

“The royals quite rightly don’t trust either of them,” he explained. “There are innumerable examples as to why they should not. As a couple, I think they have a close partnership. Harry is a product of his background and will inevitably have deep links to the past. They should have a dynamic future as they are members of the most high-profile royal family in the world. However, it is the mistakes they keep making that make this highly unlikely.”

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Queen Camilla is said to be staying out of the royal rift as King Charles III continues to prioritize royal duties. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Fordwich pointed out that as Meghan continues to build her business empire in California, the royals are still wary of what the couple may say next in an attempt to win the public over.

“Meghan Markle focusing on her business and future has proven to be provocative and certainly a barrier to rebuilding any trust with the senior royals,” said Fordwich.

Meghan Markle currently has 3.7 million followers on Instagram. She launched her account in the new year. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. That same year, they moved to California.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images)

Since the couple’s royal exit, they have aired their grievances and made blistering allegations against the royal family. Harry’s explosive 2023 memoir, “Spare,” was stuffed with private details and embarrassing revelations.

Harry’s rift with his family burst into the open once more with a raw interview he gave to the BBC in May after losing a court case over his security. In a lengthy and at times emotional conversation, Harry expressed his desire for reconciliation. He admitted that his father, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer, won’t speak to him.

King Charles, seen here with his daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, reportedly doesn’t respond to Prince Harry’s phone calls or letters. (Karwai Tang/Getty Images)

Harry’s pals previously told People magazine that King Charles, 76, won’t respond to Harry’s phone calls and letters. Royal experts also claimed to Fox News Digital that Harry’s older brother, William, who is heir to the British throne, refuses to speak with him.

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Prince William reportedly has no desire to extend an olive branch to his younger brother. (AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

People magazine noted that the rift between father and son is “five years deep and remains one of the most painful fractures in Charles’ reign.”

“King Charles has cancer and will likely never get to know Harry’s children,” Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital. “People will look beyond [Meghan’s]… fruit spread and see this for what it is – selfishness.”

An arrangement of U.K. newspapers after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah for an explosive tell-all in 2021. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“Harry had plenty of problems before Meghan entered the picture, but Meghan magnified them, and the world has noticed that Meghan doesn’t speak to her family either,” Schofield claimed.

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“I don’t believe Meghan is staying out of it because every time there is a royal milestone, like Trooping the Colour on Saturday, the Sussexes have to try to do something to outshine them,” she said. “[For example], Meghan’s upcoming appearance at an L.A. gala is on the same day as Trooping the Colour, the king’s birthday parade. Meghan might compete with the royals, but she is certainly not on their radar.”

Since their royal exit, the couple have attempted to carve out meaningful roles for themselves across the pond. According to Forbes, Harry was rumored to have received a $20 million advance for “Spare.” 

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Their most lucrative deal, the outlet noted, was the five-year, $100 million contract they signed with Netflix in 2020. Meghan’s 2021 children’s picture book, “The Bench,” reportedly resulted in an advance of up to $618,000.

Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” was published in 2023. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Before the couple parted ways with Spotify in 2023, they reportedly signed a podcasting deal that was worth between $15 to $18 million. Some reports indicated that it could have been as much as $25 million, the outlet shared.

Most recently, Meghan launched her lifestyle brand, As Ever, in February, followed by her Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” in March. She also released new episodes of her podcast on Lemonada, “Confessions of a Female Founder.”

There’s no official word on when Meghan Markle will drop the new season of her podcast, “Confessions of a Female Founder.” (Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

While Harry may appear to be doing all the talking these days, Meghan is determined to make her mark as a Hollywood influencer, experts claimed.

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Meghan Markle’s “With Love, Meghan” has already been picked up for a second season on Netflix. (Netflix)

“Meghan was a working royal for maybe 17 months and insists on using a royal title in a country that doesn’t have royalty,” Schofield claimed. “The whole first portion of the Oprah interview [from 2021] is just Meghan. Meghan is the instigator.”

Doug Eldridge, a branding expert and founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that Meghan has made the family business her business.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex call the wealthy coastal city of Montecito home. Forbes reported the couple splurged on a $14.7 million home in 2020. (VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)

“At this point, when it comes to the drama within the royal family, you could argue that Meghan has made it her business,” he explained. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously aired their grievances in the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan.” (Netflix)

“They tried to monetize familial infighting, across a variety of platforms — from long-form Oprah sit-downs, to Harry’s tell-all book, to the numerous podcasts and media appearances they’ve done; each time, trying to take the ‘victim high-ground’ in the ongoing optics war for public sympathy and support.”

“That was a short-sighted position,” he said. “She ultimately turned many of those would-be consumers into vocal critics, who are often brutal in their social media-based rejection and rebuke. She gained eyeballs but at the expense of dollars.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at the 2024 CHLA Gala held at the L.A. Live Event Deck on October 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty Images)

Sources told People magazine that many believe Charles should make the first move in reconnecting with Harry. However, there is hesitation. Prince William is said to have no desire to extend an olive branch while Queen Camilla keeps her distance.

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Many insiders feel King Charles III should make the first move in reconciling with his son. (HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

“The underlying issue is trust,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the outlet. “The king and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation.”

Eldridge said that all the Sussexes can do is stay in their lane and focus on their business. But it will take time until they can be trusted by the royal family despite the couple being ready for peace talks, he warned.

Meghan Markle was by Prince Harry’s side when Queen Elizabeth II, the prince’s grandmother, died in September 2022. She hasn’t returned to the U.K. since. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“This is like another Hollywood reboot of a story we’ve already seen,” he said. “Meghan has not only read the script but repeatedly chosen to reprise her role in this story time and time again. It’s tough to envision a ‘reimagining’ of this screenplay, other than her finally declining ‘the role’ altogether. In the end, that might be her best move.”

In March, Meghan Markle made her Netflix comeback with a new lifestyle series that paints a rosy picture of domestic life. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

“If Meghan is serious about building and expanding her lifestyle empire, she would be wise to heed an old saying, ‘You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks,’” said Eldridge. “Stay on the path and keep it moving.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.