Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made an important promise to each other to avoid repeating the mistakes their parents made. According to a fountainThe couple is determined to keep their marriage strong for the sake of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as royals in 2020 and have since lived in California with their two children. Speaking to New Magazine, a source claimed that while growing up, both Harry and Meghan “hated having separate parents who didn’t get along” and felt they were often pulled in different directions.
“They have vowed that divorce is not an option, especially when they have such young children and are responsible for shaping their lives,” the source revealed. “They would never want to put Archie and Lili through any of that and want them to have as idyllic and innocent a childhood as possible.”
The source told a media outlet, according to UK Daily Express, that Harry and Meghan have previously been open about their experiences as children of divorced parents. In his Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan, Meghan opened up about how her parents’ divorce affected her childhood and adult relationships. “There are a lot of things from anyone’s childhood that you bring into the present, especially when you are the product of a divorce,” she said.
Harry also shared his perspective, saying, “Being dragged from one place to another, or maybe your parents are competitive, or you’re in one place longer than you want to be, or somewhere else less than you want to be. There are all kinds of pieces to that.”
This engagement comes despite the fact that Meghan Markle has also been divorced. Before marrying Prince Harry, she was married to film producer and talent manager Trevor Engelson. Meghan and Trevor began dating in 2004 and married in 2011 in Jamaica, but divorced in 2013.
Prince Harry’s experience with divorce comes from his parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, who separated when he was eight and finalized their divorce in 1996. Meghan’s parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, separated in 1987.
On May 19, 2024, Harry and Meghan celebrated six years of marriage. While the public watched their beautiful wedding live on television, the reception hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II and the private party afterwards were exclusive events. However, the couple later shared behind-the-scenes photos of their special day in their Netflix docuseries in December 2022.
Since their wedding, Harry and Meghan left royal duties and moved to the US, where they were involved in several media ventures, including deals with Netflix and Spotify, although the latter partnership ended prematurely. Her promise to avoid divorce underscores her commitment to providing a stable and loving environment for her children, learning from her own childhood experiences.