Meghan Markle ‘Excited’ About Girl’s Weekend Gig in Australia, But Prince Harry Thinks It’s ‘Tacky’

Prince Harry feels like the third wheel in his own marriage as ambitious wife Meghan is connected at the hip to hunky pal Markus Anderson, sources say.

“Harry is already a bit insecure in his relationship with Meghan because she’s a fierce, dominant powerhouse, and Harry — for lack of a better term — is whipped!” a royal insider tells Globe. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s intimidated or jealous of the other men in Meghan’s life.”

Dashing Markus — a consultant for Soho House, a private club with luxe locations around the globe — was reportedly responsible for facilitating Meghan’s upcoming appearance at a pricey women’s retreat in Australia.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heading Down Under for another quasi-royal tour. While Harry, 41, is slated to champion causes such as the importance of mental health, his 44-year-old spouse will be speaking at Her Best Life weekend in Sydney.

VIP attendees, who have forked over more than $3,000 each, will be seated at a gala dinner alongside Meghan, who will pose for a pic with the deep-pocketed guests.

“Meghan is super excited about this gig. Some say she’s selling her soul. She says it’s a fabulous opportunity to grow her brand and expand her own fan base in Australia,” a source says. “But for Harry, it’s irritating and tacky in the extreme.”

While Markus, 48, is said to have connected the duchess with the event’s organizer, his ties with Meghan date back to her pre-Harry days when the actress lived in Toronto, where she shot the legal drama Suits. The suave stud has been described by media outlets as Meghan’s confidant, secret-keeper and fixer — and sources say Harry quickly found out about their close friendship while courting his future bride.

A rep for the Sussexes vehemently denies the friendship has put a strain on the marriage, but the prince’s glamorous wife has been squired by Markus to many events over the years — both before and after the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding — and sources have called their unbreakable bond Meghan’s dirty secret.

“Harry doesn’t much care for Markus, who’s been hovering around the marriage for a very long time now,” the source says. “As much as he respects Meghan’s right to choose her friends, this guy has way too much of an influence over her in Harry’s view. So, the fact that Markus was behind this latest [Australian] move only makes him more of a pain.”

Insiders have suggested homesick Harry feels alone and isolated in Meghan’s native California, where the couple is raising son Prince Archie, who turns 7 on May 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 4, after stepping away from palace duties in 2020.

Other sources say Harry fears Meghan’s money-hungry ways may hurt his peace-keeping efforts as he attempts to smooth things over with his estranged family — including father King Charles and brother Prince William.

The source says, “He thinks Meghan’s damaging her reputation as well as his, because they’re so closely intertwined in terms of public perception.”

“Their marriage is already on shaky ground, no matter how much they try to deny it or paper over the cracks with constant PDAs and mushy social media videos. At the end of the day, they’re two very different people with clashing perspectives, especially when it comes to their image and how they carry themselves.”

If the union fell to pieces, the royal insider predicts Harry would “definitely try” to get custody of the children — but few believe devoted mom Meghan would easily give them up.

“It seems like Harry really wants to reconcile with his family. He’s a big family person, and he would want the kids to be with him in the U.K. and have a relationship with his brother and dad,” the insider notes. “It’s known that Harry is sad and he misses his family. He’s talked about it, too, so clearly he would want to reconcile and have his kids near him. They are his pride and joy.”