A royal expert has suggested that 2026 may prove to be a challenging year for Harry and Meghan Markle, as questions continue to surround their professional and personal direction.
Speaking on Talk TV, royal commentator Rupert Bell said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are likely to face mounting pressure in the year ahead. He pointed to reported struggles with retaining staff and ongoing business difficulties as key issues.
The discussion followed a lighter moment shared by Meghan Markle, who recently posted an Instagram video of herself dancing barefoot in a garden with Prince Harry. The clip was captioned, “when 2026 feels just like 2016,” and was widely seen as a display of closeness between the couple.
Host Mark Dolan described the video as affectionate and reflective of their strong bond, despite what he suggested was a relatively small social circle.
Bell agreed that the couple appear close, but added a note of caution. He said they spend much of their time together partly because they have fewer people around them, before warning that the year ahead could be demanding, particularly for Harry.
He also questioned their ability to hold on to staff, calling it a recurring problem. Bell noted that the couple have reportedly returned to using an agency to help manage communications after what he described as an ineffective strategy in 2025.
According to the commentator, ongoing concerns about staff turnover continue to revive past allegations from their time as working royals, claims that he said still resurface occasionally in the US.
While Bell acknowledged that the Sussexes work hard to present a united and happy front, he added that the coming year will be closely watched. “They portray themselves as the most loved-up couple in Montecito,” he said. “The question is whether that image can withstand the pressures that 2026 may bring.”
