Weird Things About Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Relationship We Can't Ignore

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married on May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. The couple officially became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and became active working royals, dazzling both the English people and the world at large with their ability to engage with crowds. Harry talked about this when he recalled their budding love. "I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly — it was a confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned," Harry said, per People. "This beautiful woman literally tripped and fell into my life. I fell into her life and the fact that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well is obviously a huge relief to me because she'll be able to deal with everything else that comes with it."

However, things changed for Harry and Meghan. They stepped down as senior working royals in January 2020 and moved to California in June of that same year. The change seemed abrupt, at least to outsiders, and caused rifts within the royal family. With these huge changes in their life being met with animosity, we've wondered if this upheaval has caused strain on their relationship. It certainly wouldn't surprise anyone if the couple was experiencing tension. Dr. Channa Bromley, founder and CEO of Metamorphosis Relationship Coaching Institute, thought so too, so Women reached out to Dr. Bromley to get her expert take on the strange things we can't ignore about Harry and Meghan's relationship.

Since leaving the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been very vocal. We mean this in a broad sense. They've spilled the tea on life within the British Royal Family, but also have spoken out about other topics, like causes close to their hearts. Fans and onlookers have noticed that they usually do joint interviews, and Meghan often takes the lead in communicating. Even at the 2023 Invictus Games, a passion project of Harry's for a long time, Meghan arrived late and spoke to the crowd. While it's wonderful to support a partner's project, people have noticed that Meghan sometimes takes the lead in situations that are predominantly Harry's realm.

Dr. Channa Bromley speaks about this, explaining "Meghan often steps in as Harry's protector and spokesperson, taking a dominant role in situations where we might expect both partners to contribute equally." She continues, "While some relationships have one partner taking the lead, this dynamic may signal a shift from supportive to overprotective. By frequently acting as Harry's spokesperson, Meghan may be unintentionally limiting his voice and his own sense of agency within the relationship." Such a pattern could be detrimental to the interdependence of a relationship, a crucial and healthy trait for a couple. "In the long term, this kind of imbalance can undermine individual identity, as one partner increasingly depends on the other to navigate social and emotional dynamics, potentially straining both autonomy and partnership," Dr. Bromley adds.

One of the biggest causes for concern in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship is the broken bonds between them and both of their families. Harry's ties with his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles III, are strained. While it's not uncommon for a sibling to disapprove of one's choice of partner, it is a red flag when familial bonds are broken. After Harry's memoir "Spare" came out, he admitted that he and William were not even speaking. For her part, Meghan is estranged from her father, Thomas Markle, who claims that he has not met his two grandchildren. Meghan has also had a contentious relationship with her half-sister, Samantha Markle, since marrying Harry.

On the topic of familial ruptures, Dr. Channa Bromley tells women, "Both Harry and Meghan have strained relationships with their families, leaving them without the usual family anchors in times of crisis. While a strong 'us against the world' mentality can bond couples, it may also isolate them, creating an internal bubble that intensifies the pressure within the marriage." Dr. Bromley adds that it's healthy for partners to have support outside of their marriage, and that bonds with family members can reduce the pressure put on one's spouse. It leads to unnecessary strain to expect a spouse to be everything to the other when there isn't familial support. 

Meghan Markle and filmmaker Tyler Perry connected for the first time in 2018 when he reached out to her to congratulate her on her upcoming wedding. Then, when Meghan and Prince Harry stepped down as working royals, they temporarily stayed in Vancouver, Canada. While there, Perry reached out and offered his home in Los Angeles as a place for the couple to stay. They took him up on his offer of a home and security before they found their permanent home in Montecito, with all of this happening without the couple ever meeting Perry in person. 

While it's great that Perry was able to help the couple, Dr. Channa Bromley noted the potential red flag of Meghan leaning too heavily on another man for support. "Meghan turning to Perry, a man she reportedly barely knew, for emotional support upon her move to California is noteworthy," Dr. Bromley begins. "Seeking solace in an opposite-sex confidant — especially a new connection — can risk blurring emotional boundaries, inadvertently fostering a closeness that might be better cultivated within the marriage. While it doesn't imply anything inappropriate, this choice could suggest unmet emotional needs or a drive to feel seen and understood in a way that perhaps the marriage alone wasn't fulfilling." Dr. Bromley stresses that Meghan and Perry hadn't done anything wrong here, but noted that healthy boundaries are crucial in situations like this, to eliminate any overly messy feelings.

Sometimes, things can be too perfect; something that fans have noticed about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship. When the Netflix documentary "Beckham" aired, sharing the love story of David and Victoria Beckham, viewers couldn't help but draw comparisons between their portrayal of that marriage and the one that Harry and Meghan depicted in their Netflix series, "Harry & Meghan." The Beckhams were fine with sharing the scandals they've lived through, and even moments of them disagreeing. (Think of the hilarious moment when David told Victoria to "be honest" after she said that she grew up working class.) 

It's not just in their Netflix series. It seems that everything that Harry and Meghan put forward renders them the greatest love story ever told. Their relationship is idealistic and they wax on about how they're a perfect fit. Hey, we love love, and we want couples who are meant to be together to succeed. But anyone who's been in a long-term relationship knows that there are bumps and disagreements, and imperfect or unflattering moments. In August 2024, Harry and Meghan traveled to Columbia, and fans noticed the PDA between them, but it struck many as hollow. On r/Dlistedroyals on Reddit, someone wrote, "All the demonstrative affection (on her part) make me quite skeptical about their relationship." Another replied, "Everyone I know who tries so hard to prove their love are unhappy..." We hope that's not the case, but it does seem curated. 

While calling out unfair treatment and using one's voice is crucial, sometimes airing grievances can get excessive. This is how some feel about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's behavior after leaving the royal family. Their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on March 7, 2021, creating huge waves with Harry's family. But the couple didn't stop there. Their Netflix documentary aired on December 8, 2022, and then Harry published "Spare" on January 10, 2023. It was a lot of content, much of it negative, over a short period, which turned fans off. On the Reddit thread r/PublicRelations, people spoke about this overload. "They made some serious errors with the Oprah, Netflix special, Spare triple whammy," one person began. "The frequency/media saturation was just way too much, coupled with the generally whiny and backstabby tone of their story."

It makes us wonder about their relationship. If the general tone that they give to the world is negative, is there more of an unhappy sentiment bubbling between Harry and Meghan? Based on the content that they've created, they certainly seem unhappy with their lot in life, so we've got to wonder how they feel about each other and their relationship. It must be hard balancing the need to use one's voice, and not come across as ungrateful. We certainly hope things are peaceful and centered at home.