'Upping His Game': Prince Harry Is 'Desperate to Be Taken Seriously' as He Separates Professionally From Meghan Markle
Prince Harry has been traveling around the world without Meghan Markle, and his solo trip to the southern region of Africa could be the beginning of the couple separating their professional brands.
“This definitely feels like he is upping his game to cement his position as a serious player on the international stage,” an anonymous source told an outlet. “He’s always been desperate to be taken seriously and people I know say his fall from grace will really have got to him.”
Meghan hasn't attended gatherings with Harry in recent weeks, but the insider thinks the Duchess of Sussex was caring for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
“There may be a good reason she can’t leave the kids, but she’s never been to Lesotho and that surprises me — it is like a second home [to Harry],” they said, noting that the “royal family there is like his second family.”
“Sentebale is such a big part of his life, you’d think he would want to share it," they added.
OK! previously reported royal expert Richard Eden viewed Harry's time in Lesotho as the duke finding his place in the world after stepping down from his royal position.
“Harry is treading this very difficult line between celebrity and royalty still…he looked very dignified in Lesotho but it’s a country he’s got a lot of connection with," Eden said on "Palace Confidential." "But back in America, he's still tried to play the royal jester, the joker when he goes on these talk shows."
“I think his brother would never do anything like that or if he did it would be much more controlled," Eden said in reference to Prince William. "I suspect that Harry is still desperately searching for some kind of role.”
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The father-of-two struggled to establish himself in Hollywood, but he is expected to return to his charitable efforts after being branded a "grifter" by a Spotify executive.
"I think all these events have gone off tremendously well. They've been uncontroversial," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said on GB News. "He hasn't given any interviews. Perhaps something is being planned that we are unaware of."
"His next docuseries for Netflix on polo apparently doesn't feature him much, so what we're waiting to see is how this will be developing in the weeks and months," Fitzwilliams stated.
While Harry continues to prioritize his remaining patronages, Meghan is building American Riviera Orchard and preparing for the release of her culinary show.
"Will there be some more tours? They've been, of course, to Nigeria and he and Meghan most recently to Latin America," he noted.
"So is this part and parcel of a new strategy? Whereas Meghan develops her cooking side on Netflix, and Harry does more solo," Fitzwilliams shared while discussing the former actress' food series.
Insiders confirmed royal watchers' suspicions in an inteview.
“It’s clear that a twin-track approach is evolving," a pal shared.
"The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals – not just as a couple," a separate insider stated. "The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track.”
Sources spoke to Daily Mail.