10 Red Flags In The Royal Family Relationships We Can't Ignore

Every relationship has highs and lows, and those within the royal family are not immune to those changes. In fact, it seems that being royal can actually add to the stress of a relationship. While some royal couples seem to be rock solid — King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, for example, appear to be more in love than ever — others look to be crumbling under the weight of being a Windsor. 

Unfortunately, it's not all that surprising that some royal romantic relationships are reportedly suffering. The media never lets the royal family sleep, and recent years have brought significant shifts to their interpersonal dynamics. Stressors abound. Even still, certain issues between royals are quite concerning, and no one wants to see a marriage fail. While nothing is a surefire sign of divorce, there are quite a few red flags in the royal family relationships that we can't ignore.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been through a lot with the royal family. Not long after their marriage in 2018, rumors began surfacing about issues between Meghan and the Windsors. As such, Harry sided with Meghan, and they eventually formally separated themselves from the firm and moved to the United States. Since then, too many reported issues to name apparently surfaced, and the relationships between Harry and his family members only worsened. 

As of 2024, Prince Harry does not speak to Prince William or King Charles III — his relationship with his father, the king, reportedly being especially troublesome. As a friend of the royal family told People, "[Nothing] would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father. At the end of the day, you can't undo bloodlines."

Although it may seem like Harry and Meghan are bonded in their battle against the world, such a significant familial rift could cause issues for the couple in the long run. Harry could come to resent Meghan because of the issues that have risen in his family since she joined. Also notable, Meghan does not appear to have strong relationships with many of the people in her family. She has famously been at odds with her father and half-sister, and such issues could suggest that Meghan does not value family as much as Harry does, which could drive a wedge further between the couple.

While much about Prince William and Princess Catherine's relationship seems picture perfect, there are quirks that raise questions. For example, William and Catherine rarely show each other affection. When in public, the two are apt to keep some distance in between them, potentially grazing each other's shoulders. As psychology says, showing a partner affection is crucial in a relationship as it indicates the other person's commitment. William and Catherine declining to show affection toward each other could signal that they're not committed to their marriage.

To some, this is no red flag at all — it's just a matter of royal principle. "Kate and William play a very important role in the royal family now as the Prince and Princess of Wales," body language expert Darren Stanton told The Sun. "As they are next in line to the throne and are preparing to become king and queen themselves one day, they use and follow the traditional royal protocols of the late queen." While that certainly could be the case, it's also important to note that King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have no problem showing affection in public, and they didn't while Queen Elizabeth II was still alive. William and Kate's stance on PDA could simply be a choice as representatives of the crown, or it could be an issue that goes deeper.

Marrying into the royal family clearly comes with major challenges. Princess Diana struggled in her role as a royal, as did Meghan Markle. As Mike Tindall, Zara Tindall's husband, has shared, he found aspects of his relationship to be difficult, too. On an episode of the series "Grand Slammers," Mike explained that while many believe those who marry into the royal family have it made, it's not that simple. "Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara that means it's all fine and dandy ... But that doesn't stop the fact that you need a job," the royal-by-marriage admitted.

Mike Tindall, a former professional rugby player, added that he struggled after retirement. "It's not that easy, you know — you get quite institutionalized into rugby, it's a way of life and you leave the game and that's not there ... Zara would say if she was honest it was probably a year it took me to figure out what I was, who I was going to be." Mike not having a sense of self outside of rugby and the royal family could signal difficulties between the couple in the future.

One of the most common causes of divorce is infidelity, and Prince William and Princess Catherine have reportedly dealt with that issue in the past ... multiple times. Prince William has been accused of being unfaithful to his wife with women in their circle of friends, namely Rose Hanbury, and the rumors refuse to die. The media has speculated as to why the rumors continue to circulate, with many royal experts weighing in. Some theorize that the palace's threats to sue different media outlets are to blame, while others believe that members of the media continue perpetuating it. One reason the rumors of Prince William's infidelity have stayed alive, however, could be that they're true.

William and Hanbury, of course, have unequivocally denied these claims. Hanbury has even taken legal action against late night talk show host Stephen Colbert after taking issue with a joke he made. Whatever the truth may be, the red flag remains. If William has been unfaithful to Catherine, they've entered dangerous territory as some of the most famous royal divorces in modern history have happened as a result of infidelity, including William's own parents. If William has stayed true to his wife, their marriage could still be in trouble. Media firestorms are hard to weather, even for people such as the royals who've had significant training for such instances. Should the affair rumors continue, William and Catherine might have marital strains to work through.

Spouses don't need to agree on everything to make a marriage work, but they've got to agree on the big things, like where they're going to live. This is especially important if the pair are from different countries, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's situation. After the duke and duchess stepped down as senior members of the royal family, they settled in the United States, a decision they claimed was crucial for the happiness and safety of their family. However, reports say that Harry is unhappy living in America, and that unhappiness could be an issue between him and Meghan in the future. 

"He's an angry boy. Things haven't turned out how he wanted. I think he misses being over here [in Britain] desperately and wants to be admired more," a friend of Harry's said to The Times. "Anyone who knows him feels he'd rather be top of the pops here with everyone loving him, as they do with [his older brother] William and Kate."

According to other reports, Meghan and Harry — or at least just Harry — might be forced out of the United States whether they want to go or not. "He's got trouble with his visa. They're allowed to look again at what the problem is, and he might still not be able to stay there," Angela Levin told GB News of Harry's status in the States. A move away from Meghan's home country could create a separate issue in their marriage.

Prince William and Princess Catherine have been together for many years, but their relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing. While they were still dating, the couple broke up. As told in "Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography" by Robert Jobson, Prince William broke up with Princess Catherine over the phone a few years into their relationship. "[William] told [Catherine] they both needed 'a bit of space' to 'find our own way,' and he was unable to promise her marriage. In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they both acknowledged they were on 'different pages.'" While past breakups aren't necessarily an indicator that a relationship is going to fail, it can signal trouble for the future.

The palace has been on top of this red flag since William and Catherine's engagement. After announcing they had officially decided to get married, the couple sat down for an interview with ITV News, and both addressed the breakup, with William attributing it to being young and still finding themselves. Catherine added, "I at the time wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you're younger, and I really valued that time for me, as well." Time will tell whether their past breakup was a legitimate concern in their relationship or not.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi keep most of the details of their personal life to themselves, but certain aspects they've shared in the past have been a tad concerning, especially when considering their relationship. In 2024, Edoardo opened up about his work life in an interview with the Financial Times. Edoardo is the founder and CEO of the company Banda Property, an interior design firm, and from the sounds of it, he's constantly on the go, seemingly unable to spend much time at home. "There's so much creative talent in the U.K. We can recruit that here and then work globally. No one asks, 'Where's your local office?' any more," Edoardo said, adding that he's "always on a train." While Edoardo didn't explicitly say he's not home much, it's clear that his work schedule is demanding, and unless Beatrice is traveling with him, the two likely don't get much quality time together.

While plenty of couples can make long distance and semi-long distance relationships work, there are also many who can't. Quality time in a relationship is vital to strengthening emotional bonds, improving communication and intimacy, and building trust, among other things. If Edoardo and Beatrice aren't able to spend much time together because of the former's career, it's important that they take advantage of the time they do have.

Financial issues have been cited as the cause of many divorces. When the bills can no longer be paid, people tend to walk. According to reports, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's financial situation is looking worse and worse all the time. Per sources, the couple have two major issues: high expenses and not enough coming in. As for their expenditure, royal experts estimate that Harry and Meghan's lifestyle costs them $20 million annually thanks to their mortgage, security, and other extravagant choices. Obviously, $20 million in yearly expenses means that Harry and Meghan need to be earning at least that much to stay afloat, and as noted, their second issue is that they're aren't earning that. While they have gotten plenty of big paychecks in the past — their $100 million Netflix deal, for example — a significant amount of those earnings are taxed, and with such high expenses, they don't last that long.

What's more, it sounds like Harry and Meghan won't be receiving those major payouts any longer. Experts don't expect the couple to sign another deal with Netflix, and there are questions as to how audiences will respond to the content that is yet to be released. "The contrast is they're coming across as they're trying to make money out of it and instead of doing good deeds, but that's where we are, isn't it unfortunately," royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun's "Royal Exclusive" show of Harry and Meghan's work for Netflix. If the couple can't earn the money required to maintain their lifestyle, drastic measures between them may be taken.

People are not always going to behave in a way that pleases their significant other, and that can cause a rift between a couple. Princess Eugenie has reportedly experienced this with her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have been married since 2018, and Jack has been revered as a great man, husband, and father. However, in 2021, his reputation was put at stake after being photographed next to a topless woman while on a boat in Italy. Per sources, Eugenie was not pleased. "She was mortified, to say the least," an insider told OK! "The fact that he'd even put himself in a position where his reputation is on the line is beyond the pale, as far as she's concerned ... Eugenie is not impressed."

Not only was Eugenie reportedly upset with her husband, but the incident was interpreted by the public as a possible sign of an affair. While the woman who was topless has publicly apologized for her behavior and claims nothing untoward happened between her and Jack, the incident could signal a difference in values between Jack and Eugenie, which has been cited as a top reason for divorce. The two seemingly worked through the issue considering they're still together, but if something similar were to happen between Jack and Eugenie again, it could have a different outcome.

It's possible that Meghan Markle regrets even getting involved with Prince Harry. As she shared in the documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," Meghan received a stark warning from some of her friends at the outset of her relationship with Harry. "When I first met my now husband my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, 'I'm sure he's great but you shouldn't do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life,'" Meghan revealed. "I very naively — I'm American, we don't have that there — said, 'What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense, I'm not in tabloids.' I didn't get it. So it's, yeah, it's been complicated."

The interview took place in 2019, shortly after Harry and Meghan got married. As known, the duo went on to exit their royal life in England a year later and begin a new one in the United States ... but starting anew doesn't always lead to happier times. Life for Harry and Meghan hasn't been ideal in the United States. In addition to the reported financial issues and Harry's suspected discontentment, many people in the Los Angeles area reportedly aren't fans of the couple, and other experts claim that their existing friendships are deteriorating. If Meghan's friends were right for her not to be with Harry, and the duo lose what friendships they do have, the duke and duchess might be facing a tough road ahead.