Royal expert claims Meghan Markle's early exit from Invictus Games is 'much better look' for Prince Harry

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: For the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this year's Valentine's Day is seemingly about distance.

Meghan Markle, after a brief but heavily documented appearance at the 2025 Invictus Games, has jetted back to California, leaving Prince Harry to carry the torch alone.

Royal expert suggests Meghan Markle’s early exit from Invictus Games was to let Prince Harry shine

Sources close to the couple insist that this was always the plan.

"This was always planned. Meghan is going home to be with her children," a source said as per The US Sun.

"This is Prince Harry’s event, and she is there to support him, but this was planned."

But not everyone is convinced. The couple's recent streak of separate engagements has fueled whispers that their lives are quietly diverging.

Royal expert Hugo Vickers weighed in on Meghan's early departure, stating, "I think probably the main reason that she went back was to be with the children because they obviously take that very seriously, and she had been away for four or five days."

However, Vickers also suggested another motive behind her exit: giving Harry space to shine.

"Secondly, I think it's very important that Prince Harry should be concentrating on the participants of the Invictus Games and supporting them. It's a much better look for the Games to have him there on his own, rather than it being a Meghan Markle Show, which it has been to some extent at the beginning. So I think that's really what it's about."

Royal biographer slams Meghan Markle for ‘interfering’ in Prince Harry’s Invictus Games

Throughout the Games, Meghan Markle's presence was impossible to ignore. From public displays of affection to impromptu speeches, the Duchess made her mark—perhaps too much, according to some critics.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward didn't hold back, stating: "I thought it was unnecessary of Meghan to interfere with what is essentially Harry's baby. She knows that. He really doesn’t need her."

She continued: "When Harry first launched the Invictus Games in London, he was launching it in front of his dad, his stepmum, and his brother. He doesn’t need Meghan there to introduce him. I thought it was really wrong and kind of detracted from what he was trying to do."

Her verdict was that "Everything that Meghan does seems to be making everything about her. She should have let Harry get on with it himself, instead of interfering. She should have said, ‘actually, let me step back and you do it.’ He doesn’t need it. Harry’s a very good public speaker."

Vickers echoed this sentiment, saying, "In my view, he does that better than when she is around, because when we saw earlier in the week, she sort of took the whole thing over, it became the Meghan Markle show. I think that was a pity, because the Invictus Games is a fantastic achievement, and it's a wonderful thing for the participants, and it should really be focused on them."

Despite their highly publicized PDA, some believe the couple is growing increasingly independent of each other.

Royal Expert highlights Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's separate skills

Royal watchers point to Prince Harry’s 40th birthday celebration he spent alone- a hiking trip with friends, organized by Meghan Markle but notably lacking her presence—as a key indicator.

Notably, Harry didn’t even mention Meghan in his birthday gratitude message. Vickers thinks this shift is intentional, stating, "I think the couple are playing to their skills."

"He’s very good with children. He’s very good on what you might call sort of royal duties. He really engages with them, and he looks very happy when he’s doing it. She is much more, red carpet, the Hollywood-type appearances. That’s what we saw a little bit of at the beginning of the week, which I thought was rather unattractive." the expert added.

Yet, for all the speculation, one thing remains undeniable—Meghan and Harry still know how to have fun together.

Reportedly, at a Family and Friends Tubing event, Meghan was heard shrieking in fear before hurtling down a slope.

"No, no, I really don’t want to do this," she said in a video, as Harry giggled in the background, urging her, "Feet up, feet up, feet up!"