[imagesource:freemalaysiatoday]

Prince Harry spoke about recent speculation surrounding the state of his marriage to Meghan Markle while at The New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit in New York City on Wednesday.

The rumour mill has been in high gear since whispers about trouble in paradise for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began circulating.

The royal pair were spotted flying solo at professional gigs, sparking chatter about a so-called “professional separation.” Apparently, this is all part of a fancy new “twin-track” PR strategy to revamp their image but people across the internet are pretty convinced this means they’re heading for splitsville.

Then Andrew Ross Sorkin New York Times columnist and DealBook founder, entered the chat, cutting right to the chase with Harry, asking him straight-up about the public’s obsessive fascination with his private life.

“I Google News-ed you, and there were people fascinated by everything you’re doing, all the time. They’re fascinated by Meghan is in California right now, and you’re here,” Sorkin said, alluding to Markle’s plans to attend the Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.

“And there’s articles left and right about, you know, ‘Why are you making, doing independent events? Why aren’t you doing them together?’” Sorkin continued.

The 40-year-old prince had a simple explanation:

“Because you invited me, you should have known!” Prince Harry butted in, eliciting laughs from the audience.

“True,” Sorkin responded. “Is that normal for you?”

“The second there’s an article — she’s in California, you’re in New York — they say, ‘Well, what is happening with these two, right?’ Is that a good thing for you, in a way, that there’s so much interest in you?”

Harry admitted that was definitely not a good thing, joking about how “Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well.”

“So it’s just like, what?’” Prince Harry added, chuckling.

“It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls,” he went on. “Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.”

Harry didn’t mince words, admitting he had “no doubt” that his chat with Sorkin would “be spun or twisted somehow against me.” He even threw in a cheeky heads-up to Sorkin, warning, “And maybe you yourself will be trolled relentlessly.” A royal interview and a side of online drama? Classic Sussex, hey?

Having grown up with the media frenzy and the often inaccurate portrayals of him and his family members, Harry is aware of how dangerous these rumours can be, although his attention, at least, is in the right direction, he noted.

He said he remains focused on the charitable work he and Meghan have begun via their Archewell Foundation — including increasing online safety for children — along with his “main goal” of “being the best husband and dad that I can be.”

We gotta hand it to him, this is some excellent PR either way.

[source:nypost]