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As Harry enjoys a ski trip without Meghan, a royal expert gives his take about their solo activities and very different interests as their priorities appear increasingly ‘divided’

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Amid fresh rumours of a split and escalating noise of a UK visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a royal expert says the couple have “deeply divided priorities” at the moment. The pair found themselves the subject of yet more “heading for divorce” headlines after Prince Harry, 41, jetted off on a boys’ skiing trip shortly before Christmas, leaving Meghan at home with the kids in California.

And with the new Home Office review into the reinstatement of state-funded security for Harry and his family while on UK soil reportedly almost wrapped up, and widely predicted to fall in Harry’s favour, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says there may indeed be trouble ahead.

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“They appear to have deeply divided priorities and needs at the moment,” he tells the Mirror. “Harry clearly wants to do more in the UK, and rebuild a relationship with his father, while Meghan is focused on her business.

“I can’t see how Harry would fit into the As Ever lifestyle and cookery world, and Meghan has no affection for Britain, so there’s a clear difference there. Harry needs something more substantial in his activities than looking on and waving from behind Meghan.

“They still seem emotionally committed to each other, but the outside noise and goings on around them as a couple is deafening at times.”

Harry jetted off to Aspen, Colorado, the week before Christmas while Meghan, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, stayed in Montecito. The snow-loving prince hit the slopes with his polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras, and others, and also led the Aspen Valley team in the annual snow polo championship, donning an azure Number 1 polo jersey.

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While Meghan, 44, publicly supported her husband by posting a snap of him on horseback to her Instagram with the caption “Oh, hello there”, the result was a flurry of rumours about “tensions” in their marriage. “Harry is used to the rumours that come out when he and Meghan do anything alone, but it does make him angry,” Richard says. “He has directly addressed the ‘split fear’ rumours over the years, so they’re nothing new to him.”

Harry admitted he had learned to ignore the rumours of his pending divorce from Meghan, telling an audience at a book event in New York in 2024 that “we’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, ‘What? ‘It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it”.

His words came before a US magazine printed details of an old rumour alleging that Meghan’s team once “had a conversation with a publishing house to gauge interest in the idea for a potential book” that “might centre on a post-Harry divorce”.

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The Vanity Fair cover story referred to it as a “notion of a book”, and made it clear that no offer was made by the publisher and no manuscript was ever written, and stressed that the Sussexes were actually happily married and not thinking or talking about divorce.

Harry also once said the people he felt most sorry for when it comes to the long-running divorce rumours were “the trolls”, because “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.”

Aside from the split rumours, Richard suspects there is another big complication when it comes to the Sussexes tackling the topic of a joint UK trip – Meghan’s less-than-favourable ranking in the polls (she had 25% popularity in YouGov’s most recent ratings).

While they are “in love and committed to their marriage”, he adds, there is no getting away from the fact they are on very different pages when it comes to the country Harry recently said he “proudly served and fought for”.

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“If Harry is keen to come to a country – and to bring his children to a country – that Meghan doesn’t want to appear in, it’s only going to exacerbate any difficulties between them,” Richard says, “and her coming back could be a complete catastrophe, depending on how they managed it.

“They have done reasonably successful tours to Nigeria and Colombia, but the UK is very different. The polls indicate that Meghan is largely detested by the public so how would she handle that fierce hostility? It would be a huge test for both her and the Sussexes as a couple.

“Even so, I believe it would take an earthquake of an event for them to divorce. Aside from anything else the loss of face, after everything they have done and said, and how they have distanced themselves from the other members of their family, would be huge.”

Zara Tindall wore the Livia wool coat with faux fur collar on Christmas Day at Sandringham – and it’s now got more than £100 off in Hobbs January sale

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Zara Tindall reigns supreme when it comes to sophisticated cold-weather fashion. The 44 year old has mastered the art of blending timeless elegance with contemporary flair, and her Christmas Day ensemble at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham proved exactly that.

Arriving for the morning service, Zara chose the Livia Wool Coat from Hobbs London, a piece she’s so fond of that she’s snapped it up in two different shades. On this occasion, she sported the charcoal-grey iteration complete with a detachable faux fur collar.

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Made from 100% wool, the Livia Wool Coat features hidden fastenings alongside a detachable belt, plus the sophisticated faux fur collar, which Zara decided to leave off during the walkabout. Royal enthusiasts will be thrilled to discover it’s currently featured in the brand’s winter clearance, slashed from £399 to just £289, saving you £110.

At the time of writing, the Livia Wool Coat is flying off the shelves with only sizes 14 to 22 still in stock, so anyone keen to secure this coveted piece would be wise to move swiftly, reports the Express. If you do miss out on your size, there are some other great alternatives elsewhere that you could get your hands on.

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At ASOS, the Wool Blend Dad Coat with Faux Fur Collar in chocolate brown is £100 and mirrors the elegant, timeless style of Zara’s coat perfectly, with all sizes still in stock. You could also get your hands on the Stone Belted Coat with Faux Fur Detachable Collar from Next for just £92, which comes in a light beige colour and is available in both petite and regular lengths.

However customers have been singing the praises of the Livia Wool Coat, with one satisfied buyer commenting: “I love this coat. The colour is great and makes a change from black. The wool is smooth and the removable faux fur collar is nice and soft. The concealed buttons are a nice touch too.”

Another shared: “Great style that looks like a wrap coat but is fastened invisibly with a button. I already own it in another colour and wanted grey. The detachable faux fur collar is a nice addition to dress it up. The cut, fabric, and tailoring look like what you find in more expensive brands.”

One customer, who awarded the Livia Wool Coat a four-star rating, stated that while they decided to keep the coat, they would have preferred it to be more “form-fitting”, expressing that for them, “despite the belt, it doesn’t show my hourglass figure”.