EXCLUSIVE: Royal Split? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Living 'Increasingly Separate Lives' as Divorce Fears Ramp Up – 'They've Grown Apart'

There was Prince Harry, barefoot and smiling in sweatpants as he peered at wife, Meghan Markle's wardrobe amid an October trip to NYC, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The Duchess of Sussex included that private moment and more in an October 13 video montage recapping their trip to the Big Apple that kicked off on October 9 as they were named Humanitarians of the Year at Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Gala.

"They were thrilled to be recognized and honored by their charitable peers," a source told RadarOnline.com. "They always find it a real boost whenever there's an opportunity to take a bow for the work they do."

Markle's Instagram post also showed the pair presenting mental health panels on behalf of their Archewell Foundation on October 10, as well as glimpses from the week's off-duty outings, which included meals at Soho House, where they spent time with musician Ed Sheeran and tennis legend Serena Williams.

"Until the next time, NYC – thanks for the memories. You really know how to charm a gal," Markle captioned her recap.

But has the charm worked on her marriage?

"This trip represented a great opportunity to mix business with pleasure and enjoy a romantic few days away without the kids," said the source. , 6, and Lilibet, 4, stayed behind at the couple's $14.6 million house in Montecito, California.

Behind the scenes, however, more was riding on the getaway.

"It was also seen by some as a make-or-break week in a lot of ways," added the source.

Indeed, nearly six years after Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, stunned the world by leaving royal life to forge a new future in California, there's growing speculation they may be quietly assessing what life looks like apart, even as they publicly put on a united front.

The source added: "Their appearance just fueled the rumor mill and made people even more convinced than ever that there's trouble in paradise."

Amid the rumored trouble, Markle has had a big year.

She launched two seasons of her Netflix entertaining series, With Love, Meghan, as well as one season of a business podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which on October 15 won a Signal Award in the Business People & Entrepreneurs Shaping Culture category.

She also debuted her As Ever product line of wine, fruit spreads, teas, cookies, honey, crêpe mix and flower sprinkles in partnership with the streamer, which inked a new first-look deal with the Sussexes this summer when their previous five-year contract worth a reported $100million expired.

Now the duchess appears to be preparing to launch what one U.K. outlet calls "Meghan 3.0."

In May, she teased that she hoped to explore the fashion category "at a later date," calling it "an interesting space for me."

That news came after she made headlines in March for imitating social media influencers by launching a ShopMy page, where followers could purchase items from a curated collection of style and beauty pieces she recommended, with the former Suits actress earning a small affiliate fee.

Further bolstering her fashion cred, Markle made a surprise October 4 solo trip to Paris Fashion Week, where she supported newly installed Balenciaga designer Pierpaolo Piccioli and lunched with new American Vogue editor Chloe Malle.

On October 14, the duchess made another solo trip, this time to Washington, D.C., to speak at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit.

"Meghan is all about promoting her brands right now," said the source. "Her mission is to be a female business powerhouse and nothing's going to get in the way of that – even if it means spending increasing amounts of time away from her husband."

For the last year, Harry's been leaning into his own philanthropic initiatives, frequently traveling outside the States to highlight his work with the Invictus Games, children's charities and other causes close to his heart.

"During downtime, he'll hang with his surf buddies or enjoy a game of polo," added the source. "Meghan hasn't been tagging along, which has resulted in them being apart more and more."

Rumored trouble is also stemming from Harry's efforts to reconcile with his family.

One U.K. outlet described a secret "establishment plot," allegedly dubbed "Project Thaw," backed by some senior U.K. politicians and courtiers who want to help "warm up" the Sussexes' frosty relationship with the royals since the pair left Britain in 2020 and publicly slammed Harry's family.

The report claimed Markle's trip to Paris – her first public visit to Europe since she attended the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, more than two years ago – as well as Harry's recent visits to Ukraine, were part of the "thaw" process and will allegedly be followed by a trip to England in the not-so-distant future.

The plan allegedly calls for building on the success of Harry's well-received September visit to Britain where he did charity work and continued to burnish his reputation as a royal committed to a life of service and – for the first time in more than 18 months – met face-to-face with cancer-stricken King Charles III, 76, in what's seen as a first step toward rebuilding their strained relationship.

His connection to brother Prince William, 43, the source confirmed, will be far harder if not impossible to repair.

"Harry's made no secret of the fact he's desperate to build on the positive momentum with his father," said the source. "He's been working feverishly behind the scenes to try to strike compromises and arrange another visit."

Markle, who hasn't set foot in England since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022, is said to be skeptical of any thaw.

While she supports Harry making peace with his father, said the source: "She thinks Harry's being naïve and that there's no way on earth the royals will ever treat them with the respect they deserve. What worries Meghan is that this will ultimately ruin the life they've worked so hard to build in America."

Amid the ups and downs of the last year, Markle has faced criticism for positioning Harry as a supporting character in her own narrative.

Just as she slipped a few seconds of "H," as she calls him, into her NYC promotional video, she gave her husband a brief walk-on in the final four minutes of the season 1 finale of With Love, Meghan – a royal cameo that, to some, felt more curated than collaborative.

She's also been using social media to show off her glam sessions and swanky wardrobe and sparked backlash after posting a clip of herself being driven through Paris at night, reportedly near the tunnel where Harry's mother, Princess Diana, was killed in 1997.

"Harry made a point to say Meghan was treated unfairly and that it was twisted of people to insinuate she was in some way disrespecting his mother with the video," said the source. "Still, it was something he could well have done without."

His attitude has shifted in the nine years since they first met and fell in love.

He and Markle may be "hot for each other," as one insider told Vanity Fair earlier this year, but "Harry's come to realize he and Meghan are very different people," said the source. "That's not something he's using to denigrate or criticize Meghan. It's just a lot harder these days and he's noticing it more."

As 2025 winds down, Markle is hustling despite the rumored trouble.

In October, As ever announced its third wine offering – a 2024 vintage Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

And in November, her Netflix Christmas entertaining special debuts – which is ironic since the source says some friends worry the couple may not last until the holidays.

"The consensus right now is Harry and Meghan have a lot of work to do if they're going to iron out this tension and get on the same page," said the source. "If they can't figure things out, the fear is they'll just drift further apart and eventually could split."