Meghan Markle issues statement amid professional 'separation' from Harry

Amid reports that she and husband Prince Harry are going their separate ways work-wise, Meghan Markle has spoken out.

In an emotional statement made at at California event - organised in partnership with the Archewell Foundation - the mother-of-two lifted the lid on what she hopes to achieve in the coming months.

Rumours of a rift in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's marriage hardly come as a surprise anymore - especially given the slack the pair have received at the hands of the British tabloids since their 2018 wedding.

Despite split speculation, six years and two children later, and the pair are reportedly still as happy as ever.

That hasn't stopped spectators wondering, however, why Meghan and Harry are rarely spotted together anymore. After a stream of solo events attended by each of them since their return from Colombia back in August, fans have wondered what's going on behind the scenes.

Concern was first sparked when Meghan enjoyed a solo night of her own in Los Angeles back in October, celebrating the hair care brand launch of her colourist pal, Kadi Lee.

Weeks later, Harry appeared at a Canadian Football event in Vancouver in order to promote the upcoming Invictus Games in January, pointedly without his other half.

Meghan recently attended a celebratory event without Harry (Gregg DeGuire/WWD via Getty Images)

Spectators to the sporting tournament couldn't help but wonder at the time why Meghan was absent from the trip - especially considering her close ties to Canada, having lived there whilst previously filming the hit law drama Suits - after Harry explained she'd remained in California.

Today, however, whilst not addressing reports of a work-based estrangement directly, Meghan issued an emotional statement about the mission and aims of her current project, which she is working on with Harry.

After attending an event for the Southern California Welcome Project - which was forged in partnership with her and husband's Archewell Foundation - she shared: "This initiative, led by the partner organization Mina’s List, has spent the past year building community through storytelling and creating a safe space for women who have resettled in the U.S. from Afghanistan."

She continued: "The evening included a shared meal that encouraged open conversation centered on gratitude and resilience."

Meghan's message seems to align with a claim made earlier this month by a Royal insider, who alleged that the Sussex's recent outings are no reflection on the status of their marriage, and that it was actually a conscious decision to begin working on and supporting separate projects.

Harry appeared at an event in Canada earlier this month (Rich Lam/Getty Images)

"Harry and Meghan have consistently pursued solo ventures in connection with their individual interests," an insider told Hello! this week.

"But remain deeply committed to their joint efforts through Archewell."

The Archewell Foundation is a for-profit and not-for-profit organisation founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in 2020.

The Royal source went on: "Together they have exciting projects in the pipeline, all driving forward their shared mission for positive global impact."