Meghan Markle has reportedly told Prince Harry that “divorce is not an option.” Here’s why:

Earlier this month the Duke of Sussex extraordinarily and publicly denied that he’s headed for divorce.

Prince Harry blamed internet trolls for spreading malicious rumours, and laughed off any suggestion that his six-year marriage to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was in trouble.

Apparently, we’ve divorced 10, 12 times? It’s just like, what?” the 40-year-old said at a recent summit in New York.

But once source tells New Idea exclusively that the denial has done little to quell suspicions, even among those closest to the couple.

“It feels very much a case of ‘he who doth protest too much’,” says one source. “Everyone has noticed they’re rarely together anymore.”

It’s been a rocky year for the Montecito-based Sussexes, and especially for Meghan, 43. Her lifestyle brand was launched with lukewarm fanfare.

Meanwhile, Harry has been consumed by his ongoing feud with his family, taking on the British press via an ugly court case, and fears his US residency could be in jeopardy thanks to his arch-nemesis Donald Trump winning the election.

In recent months, they have attended several events solo, leading to numerous reports they’re living separate lives. The spotlight on their once fairytale romance has proved a wake-up call for Meghan.

Another insider insists that the duchess’ number-one plan for 2025 is to get her marriage back on track – and make sure the whole world knows it.

“They’re very clear they are not divorcing and just as committed as ever, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some areas they want to, and need to, work on,” says the source.

“One thing that has really fallen by the wayside is the romance, and they’ve vowed to tackle that proactively,” adds the source.

For most of 2024, speculation about the Sussexes raged due to the couple living independent public lives – something Meghan is keen to cancel. This means arranging date nights, going on more special trips just her and Harry, and spending lots of time with their children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, when they are both in LA.

“They’re really going to carve out the time. They need to otherwise their schedules get so jammed,” says the source.

“They’ve also vowed to stay patient when it comes to the palace, which can get them worked up. They’re not going to sweat that stuff anymore.”

However, our first source has described this approach as “straight out of Meghan’s California therapy-speak playbook”.