Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Marriage Under Scrutiny Amidst Rumors of Trouble

But has the charm worked on her marriage?

“This trip represented a great opportunity to mix business with pleasure and enjoy a romantic few days away without the kids,” said the source. Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4, stayed behind at the couple’s $14.6 million house in Montecito, California.

Behind the scenes, however, more was riding on the getaway.

“It was also seen by some as a make-or-break week in a lot of ways,” added the source.

Indeed, nearly six years after Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, stunned the world by leaving royal life to forge a new future in California, there’s growing speculation they may be quietly assessing what life looks like apart, even as they publicly put on a united front.

The source added: “Their appearance just fueled the rumor mill and made people even more convinced than ever that there’s trouble in paradise.”

Amid the rumored trouble, Markle has had a big year.

She launched two seasons of her Netflix entertaining series, With Love, Meghan, as well as one season of a business podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which on October 15 won a Signal Award in the Business People & Entrepreneurs Shaping Culture category.

She also debuted her As Ever product line of wine, fruit spreads, teas, cookies, honey, crêpe mix, and flower sprinkles in partnership with the streamer, which inked a new first-look deal with the Sussexes this summer when their previous five-year contract worth a reported $100 million expired.