Meghan Markle has opened up about feeling “incredibly lonely,” amid growing reports of a “professional separation” between her and Prince Harry.

In recent months, the Duchess of Sussex has launched several solo projects — including her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, her lifestyle brand As Ever, and a new podcast called Confessions of a Female Founder.

Although she and Harry still share joint ventures like their Netflix docu-series and the Archewell Foundation, reports surfaced in late 2024 that the couple were taking different paths professionally.

According to GB News, the Duke and Duchess are establishing independent teams as part of a permanent move to split their professional roles. That includes appointing separate chiefs of staff.

Harry is said to be working with Miranda Barbot — a seasoned political strategist known for her role in Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign — while Meghan is reportedly supported by Sarah Fosmo, a former aide to Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

It’s worth noting this isn’t a sign of relationship trouble. The “professional separation” simply means each is now pursuing individual career paths instead of collaborating on all projects together.

Meghan recently opened up about the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, saying that running a business can feel “incredibly lonely.”

Speaking on her podcast this week, she shared, “When you only have yourself to answer to, I think it’s two-fold. It can be incredibly liberating and it can be incredibly lonely.”

She also revealed that although she initially intended to launch her lifestyle brand on her own, she ultimately changed direction. “I… took a complete U-turn because I really believe in what Netflix and their CPG [consumer packaged goods] department are doing,” she explained.

Later in the episode, Meghan talked about rebranding her business — changing the name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever.

“It’s no different than… if you have an idea of what you’re gonna name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart until that baby is here and it’s named,” she said.

When it comes to choosing a brand name, she advised: “Don’t ask anyone’s opinion! It becomes like Survey Monkey at the beginning of a business.”

On the topic of names, the Duchess of Sussex — who shares two children, Archie (6) and Lilibet (3), with Prince Harry — also reflected on the meaning behind her whole family sharing the same surname.

In an episode of her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan, she shared more about that personal decision in a conversation with her friend, Mindy Kaling.

Mindy joked, “I don’t think anyone knows Meghan Markle eats Jack In The Box and actually likes it,” after Meghan admitted to enjoying the fast food.

Meghan laughed and pointed out how strange it sounded to hear her full name. “It’s so funny you keep saying Meghan Markle — you know I go by Sussex now,” she said. “When you have kids, you start to think, ‘No, this is our shared name.’”

She added, “I didn’t realize how much it would mean to me, but it really does. It’s our family name now. Just ours.”

Mindy responded warmly: “Well, now I know — and I love it.”