Prince Harry and Meghan Markle go 'separate ways' as duchess takes 'hiatus' - expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be "going their separate ways" when it comes to their ventures, a royal expert has claimed.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, and his wife, 43, have both made some solo appearances in recent months prompting some speculation from royal watcher Phil Dampier.

and a digital wellness initiative in Santa Barbara, whereas Harry jetted to New York, London and South Africa to "advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives".

Speaking on the , Mr Dampier said: "I think Meghan is genuinely doing a lot of work in the background for this Netflix project and American Riviera Orchard.

"She probably wants a bit of a hiatus so that she can launch that. As for Harry, obviously he's been back and forth with a few charities.

"They do seem to be going their separate ways. There's no evidence that they're splitting up at the moment personally."

Renae Smith, founder and director of PR firm, exclusively told Express.co.uk that while their latest decision to go solo could benefit them in the long term, .

The expert said: "I think their decision to pursue individual brands could indeed work in their favour over the long term, although it's bound to spark a fair amount of public speculation in the short term.

Commenting on the couple pursuing their own interests, she said: "From a PR perspective, this shift might allow each of them to create distinct brands that better reflect their different priorities and resonate more coherently with their individual audiences."

During his trip to Africa last month Prince Harry reunited with his old friend, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and gave a passionate speech around a bonfire about the work his Sentebale charity has been doing.

Sentebale supports young people living with, or who are at risk from, HIV.

Prince Harry said: "We're hitting the targets, not just Sentebale but all of the departments are, and it's making a massive difference, and it is this surge of energy and optimism and the voice of young people ranging from six to 25 - and the biggest difference of which really needs more work, is when people from the top start listening."

For her own trip to the LA Children's Hospital Gala Meghan Markle wore a dazzling red dress as she appeared at the star-studded event alongside other celebrities including Demi Lovato, Kaley Cuoco, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jimmy Kimmel and Colin Hanks.

In an update on the Sussex website posted after her appearance it said: "This weekend, Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex attended the biennial Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Gala, an inspiring event dedicated to celebrating the exceptional services provided to children across LA.

"Invited as a special guest by CHLA's president and CEO, Paul Viviano, The Duchess was proud to stand alongside esteemed guests in support of this vital cause."