Why Prince Harry's New Relationship Is Probably Doomed
Actress Meghan Markle and Prince Harry went from top-secret pairing to public power couple seemingly overnight. She's lovely and he's smitten, and we're totally rooting for these lovebirds—but unfortunately, there are a few reasons we shouldn't expect her to start rocking a tiara anytime soon.
She's not used to the spotlight
Admit it: you probably never heard of Suits (2011-) star Markle before she and Prince Harry were a thing, did you? It's okay, hardly anyone else did, either, and it's proving difficult for her to deal with. "Markle is meeting with lawyers to help manage her turbulent and sudden rise to international fame," a source told Page Six. "She's stunning in person, but not everyone knew who she was. And she's everywhere now."
In an unprecedented statement to the press, Prince Harry's rep said Markle's struggles with the media go beyond just her and even endanger her family and loved ones. "Meghan Markle has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public...Some of it has been hidden from the public...[including] her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life." The statement continued, "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm."
She may be using the press to her advantage
While Markle may not be used to media attention, she may well use her relationship with the fifth-in-line to the throne to increase her own brand visibility—and that may not sit well with the royal family. Experts claim Markle's clothing line with Canadian retailer Reitman's, as well as her previously-unheard-of lifestyle blog, The Tig, will benefit enormously from the royal press.
"It's positively impacted her brand...One could argue that she was not a household name. She's not an A-lister," Kevin Adler, president of Chicago-based Engage Marketing, told The Globe and Mail. "When you launch a signature line, you're banking on the fame of that celebrity to carry the brand. [Athletic-wear brand] Fabletics and Kate Hudson—they're banking on Kate Hudson. I don't know that Meghan had that cachet...Her awareness is greater today than it was a month ago. That, in theory, should positively impact sales."
Also convenient (and possibly suspect?): her Reitman's line hit shelves just days before her romance was exposed to the world in November 2016.
It's affecting her work
Markle took a week off filming USA Network's Suits when news of her relationship with Prince Harry hit. A source told Page Six the actress told her bosses she needed to skip filming because she had "something important to do," with no more specifics.
She was spotted in London visiting Prince Harry during her hiatus from work, which may not make her bosses too happy. Even while Markle was absent from the set, Harry's schedule was reportedly so hectic that she could only visit him briefly. A source told Us Weekly, "Meghan was able to find time to visit Harry. It won't be a long visit as they both have packed schedules, but they're always so happy to be together."
What's more, a source told People that she's pretty much willing to give up everything to be with Harry. "She's trying to figure out how to scale back what she puts out there about her life, including her social media and her website," a Markle pal said. "If she had to leave all that she's doing in order for the relationship to work, she would without hesitation."
He may be too immature for her
Markle, who celebrated her 35th birthday in 2016, is divorced, has a degree in international relations, and rightfully prides herself on humanitarian efforts that she does on her own accord—not because the crown orders it. Prince Harry, who turned 32 in 2016, has grown up a lot in the past few years and has shown a commitment to charity and humanitarian work of his own, but he's also demonstrated incredibly poor judgment and insensitivity in the past.
In 2005, when he was 20, he came under fire in a big way for rocking a Nazi costume to a friend's party, even going so far as strike Nazi salute poses in photos—and he did this just weeks before the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Harry issued a half-hearted PR apology at the time, telling the press, "I am very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize." Sure, we could chalk that up to youthful indiscretion, but most 20-year-olds know better—and don't need to be told by entire teams of media professionals that dressing like Hitler for kicks is a really bad idea.
He's scared of commitment
While Markle may be ready to drop everything for her beau, she may want to hold off on getting fitted for a ring. The Daily Mail reported that Harry is so scarred by his parents' divorce that it's made him scared to settle down, even after long-term relationships with businesswoman Chelsy Davy and model Cressida Bonas.
"He holds something back. He has never given 100 percent commitment," an insider told the Daily Mail. "Sometimes he is lonely—texting 15 times a day—but he is not always consistent. He will then go quiet. This is classic commitment-phobia. Sometimes needy, sometimes aloof; neither deliberately. Naturally flirty and distracted by other women, and funny and joke-y, he can also be a little bit spoiled and moany about the Press and privacy...Brilliant with strangers and charity work, but tricky with women; he won't negotiate with them or put them first. That's why they leave him."
They have a faulty foundation
Markle already had a boyfriend when she first met Prince Harry in May 2016. The Telegraph reported Markle had been going strong for two years with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello when she met her new ginger beau. When flat-out asked if Markle dumped him for the prince, a rep for Vitiello told Stuff, "I can't comment on that." That's not exactly a denial—and any relationship that starts with infidelity usually doesn't end well. (Just ask Brangelina!)