Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Vow to Avoid Their Parents’ Mistakes ‘Divorce is Not an Option’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a significant vow to each other to avoid repeating the mistakes their parents made. According to a source, the couple is determined to keep their marriage strong for the sake of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and have since been living in California with their two children. Speaking to New Magazine, a source claimed that growing up, both Harry and Meghan “hated having separate parents who weren’t on good terms” and felt they were often pulled in different directions.

“They have vowed that divorce is not an option, especially when they have such young children and they are responsible for shaping their lives,” the source revealed. “They would never want to put Archie and Lili through any of that and they want them to have as idyllic and innocent a childhood as possible.”

The insider told an outlet, per the Daily Express UK, that Harry and Meghan have previously been open about their experiences as children of divorced parents. In their Netflix docu-series, Harry and Meghan, Meghan discussed how her parents’ divorce impacted her childhood and adult relationships. “There’s so much from anyone’s childhood that you bring with you into the present, especially when you’re the product of divorce,” she said.

Harry also shared his perspective, saying, “Being pulled from one place to another, or maybe your parents are competitive, or you’re in one place longer than you want to be, or another place less than you want to be. There’s all sorts of pieces to that.”

This commitment comes despite Meghan Markle having experienced divorce herself. Before marrying Prince Harry, she was married to film producer and talent manager Trevor Engelson. Meghan and Trevor started dating in 2004 and married in 2011 in Jamaica, but they divorced in 2013.

Prince Harry’s experience with divorce comes from his parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, who separated when he was eight years old and finalized their divorce in 1996. Meghan’s parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, split in 1987.

On May 19, 2024, Harry and Meghan celebrated six years of marriage. While the public saw their beautiful wedding live on television, the reception hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II and the private after-party were exclusive events. However, the couple later shared behind-the-scenes photos from their special day in their Netflix docuseries in December 2022.

Since their wedding, Harry and Meghan have stepped down from royal duties and moved to the US, where they have engaged in various media ventures, including deals with Netflix and Spotify, although the latter partnership ended prematurely. Their vow to avoid divorce underscores their commitment to providing a stable and loving environment for their children, learning from their own childhood experiences.