EXCLUSIVE: Why 2025 Was Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's 'Most Horrific Year of Their Lives Together'

Meghan Markle endured what sources told RadarOnline.com was the most horrific year of her life alongside husband Prince Harry, as professional setbacks, family turmoil, and renewed royal tensions collided to make 2025 a bruising turning point for the Sussexes.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aged 41 and 44 respectively, entered the year determined to recalibrate their public lives, increasingly pursuing separate professional identities after years of operating as a tightly bound brand, insiders told us.

But while both notched up visible financial successes, including solo media projects and high-profile appearances, those wins were overshadowed by sustained turbulence behind the scenes, ranging from damaging rumors to unresolved family fractures stretching across the Atlantic.

Early in the year, speculation swirled after a Vanity Fair article floated the idea Markle's team had tested interest in a hypothetical "divorce memoir."

The piece insisted the couple was still deeply in love, yet the contradictory claims ignited distress.

One source said, "Meghan and Harry are well aware that their strength and worth lie in being a unit. Even if they ever wanted to go their separate ways, it wouldn't really be possible, and in truth, they are completely devoted to one another."

Another insider dismissed the story outright, saying, "The Vanity Fair divorce piece felt deeply unfair. It suggested a book and then denied there was one, implied she was planning for life after a split, while also insisting they were very much in love. It made no sense and wasn't backed up by any evidence."

Those rumors coincided with renewed scrutiny of Markle's management style.

She has long denied allegations of bullying dating back to 2018, and former staff said last year working for the Sussexes was supportive and generous.

Yet Vanity Fair reported some employees on Markle's payroll struggled, alleging intense pressure that apparently led some to take extended breaks or leave their roles entirely.

Harry's long-running security battle added further strain. In 2025, he lost his legal challenge against the U.K. Home Office to reinstate automatic police protection.

Under the current arrangement, security is assessed case by case, with 30 days' notice required for U.K. visits. Harry has said he does not feel it is safe to bring his children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to Britain without armed protection.

After the ruling, he told the BBC the dispute had caused his father, King Charles, 77, to stop speaking to him, describing the situation as an "establishment stitch up."

Relations thawed slightly later in the year when Harry and Charles met privately for tea at Clarence House. But tensions with his brother, Prince William, 43, remain unresolved.

One communications expert said Harry's Remembrance letter hinted at longing to come back to his homeland, saying: "Harry grew up in an environment where humor, teasing, and quick-fire banter were central to how he related to people, and that was especially true of his bond with his brother William. Their relationship was forged through constant back-and-forth, jokes, and shared language that came naturally from growing up side by side in the public eye."

Harry misses the banter and the pub visits he enjoyed back in Britain and desperately wants to return home. He also raised eyebrows by announcing a Remembrance tour of Canada that clashed with William's official visit to Brazil, prompting claims of a fresh royal war.

A royal expert said, "Taken together, these actions do not suggest someone who is genuinely motivated to rebuild bridges or engage constructively with his family. Instead, it comes across as impulsive and poorly judged, and, given the sensitivities involved, ultimately feels irresponsible."

Commercially, Markle faced mixed fortunes. She relaunched herself online, unveiled the lifestyle brand As Ever, and released With Love, Meghan on Netflix.

Reviews were lukewarm at best, and the couple's lucrative Netflix deal was replaced with a more limited first-look arrangement.

The year darkened further with a health crisis involving Markle's estranged father, Thomas Sr., 81, who underwent a leg amputation.

Sources said the episode weighed heavily, compounding what one insider called a "steady, unrelenting build-up of pressure" coming at them "from all sides," which left the couple "little room to breathe or recover before the next challenge arrived."

One insider added: "It was the constant stream of scandal and family feuds that made 2025 the worst year of their married lives – and probably of Meghan's entire life. Harry's worst year was obviously the year in which his mother died, but 2025 was hardly kind to him either. As a couple, it's fair to say the last 12 months have been among the worst of their lives."