Prince Harry’s friends claim he’s ‘cut off’ from pals since marrying Meghan Markle and many ‘no longer have his number’
PRINCE Harry’s pals say the royal has distanced himself since marrying Meghan Markle, with many saying they no longer have his number.
A source close to the Duke says he began to “cut off” many of his close friends about six months into Meghan’s pregnancy with son Archie.
The secret source told PEOPLE that the Queen’s grandson has gradually been pulling back, to the point where most of them don’t have his mobile number anymore.
The insider said: “Most no longer even have his cell number.
“They totally understand that men often drift from their friends after marriage, but there’s still a lot of resentment because they had been close for so long.”
One exception to this seems to be Charlie van Straubenzee, a school friend of Harry’s and one of Archie’s alleged godparents.
Meghan seems to be the opposite and still remains friends with many of her pals that she had before she became a member of the royal family.
The 38-year-old’s longtime bestie Jessica Mulroney looked after Archie in Canada while Meghan and Harry dropped the bombshell that they would be stepping away from their roles.
Stylist Jessica’s children were also pageboys and bridesmaid at Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Prince Harry has delayed plans to fly back to Meghan and Archie in his new Canadian home to get the ‘Megxit’ plans sorted.
Harry will conduct his first public engagement since Megxit on Thursday when he conducts the 2021 Rugby League World Cup draw before staying in the UK until next week for a series of meetings.
They totally understand that men often drift from their friends after marriage, but there’s still a lot of resentment because they had been close for so long.
The event at Buckingham Palace is expected to have restricted media access.
Meghan has meanwhile visited a women’s shelter after she was spotted boarding a seaplane on Vancouver Island in Canada.
The charity visit only emerged after Charity Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre shared a photo of the duchess, writing on social media: “Look who we had tea with today! The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.”
Harry’s video on Sussex Royal today announced that the sporting event will be in Dusseldorf and he said how the event heals families.
He wrote: “Here we come Düsseldorf! The new home for the 2022 and sixth Invictus Games.
“Having previously been held in London, Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, and upcoming The Hague this year in May – Düsseldorf will welcome over 500 competitors as they showcase their talents, determination and camaraderie to the world!
“The Invictus Games is an international adaptive multi-sport event, created by The Duke of Sussex, in which wounded, injured or sick (WIS) armed services personnel and veterans show the world what they’re capable of in a series of adaptive sports, ranging from wheelchair basketball to indoor rowing.
BREAKING THE SILENCE
“The Duke, having spent 10 years serving in the Armed Forces, set up the @WeAreInvictusGames to celebrate the power of sport rehabilitation (both physically and mentally) and to generate a wider appreciation for those who served their country beyond their time in uniform.
“Participating in the Games plays a significant part in the recovery journey of WIS Servicemen and women. It doesn’t just heal the individual, it heals the whole family.
“I hope everyone in Germany is ready for what will be an incredible week of sport! I have no doubt that the German public will get right behind these Games and that every single competitor can expect a warm welcome and an amazing atmosphere.”
On Monday, the Queen revealed in a personal statement that she supported Harry and Meghan in their shock decision to begin a ‘new life’ as an ‘independent family’.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess were to have a ‘transition period’ and split their time between the UK and Canada.
Meghan was not involved in Monday’s summit at Sandringham having flown back to North America last week after returning to Britain for just three days.
She had been expected to phone in for the crunch talks involving the Queen, Prince Charles, Harry and William but the palace later confirmed it “wasn’t necessary” for her to join.
And the duchess was last night spotted – dressed in a large parka coat as she boarded a seaplane from Vancouver Island to Vancouver.
There was no sign of nine-month-old son Archie, who is believed to be with a nanny.
She was escorted to the plane by a bodyguard. An airport source said: “She didn’t have to sit and wait with other passengers inside the terminal.”
The former actress had previously been reportedly spotted driving around Vancouver Island.
He said: “It’s sometimes trying to get people to understand that’s it’s OK to have these challenges, we just need to deal with them and we need to move forward rather than just be stuck in paralysis and pretend they aren’t going to happen.”
The pair spent six weeks on holiday in Canada at the end of last year and want to be based there permanently after securing ‘Megxit’.
On Monday, Harry met the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William for crunch talks at Sandringham about the couple’s exit from the Royal Family.
During Meghan’s brief stint back in Britain, she and Prince Harry had dropped a bombshell statement announcing they would be quitting full-time royal duties.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex got their way at the Royal Family’s crisis summit — but the Queen made it plain she is deeply upset they are quitting.
After the Sandringham talks, Her Majesty released a statement saying the couple will be allowed to step down from their duties and spend time in Canada.
But she said: “Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life.”
Harry flew back to the UK for the crisis summit while Meghan waited at the couple’s £14m Vancouver mansion during the talks.
They spent their extended Christmas break at the plush Canadian pad – although a riddle over who actually owns it has deepened as a controversial mining tycoon denied it was his.
The news came as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his support to the Sussexes and said most Canadians would welcome the couple making the country their home.
Mr Trudeau said: “I think most Canadians are very supportive of having royals be here, but how that looks and what kind of costs are involved, there are still lots of discussions to have.
“There are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the royal family, by the Sussexes themselves, as to what level of engagement they choose to have.”